


Once Upon a Wonderland~ Killian Jones

by merrychristmooose



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:27:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 31,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24098839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merrychristmooose/pseuds/merrychristmooose
Summary: A guarded surgeon with no memory of her life in the Enchanted Forest.A cocky pirate with a heart set on revenge.A world of problems that makes two enemies become unlikely friends.
Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Original Character(s), Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	1. Paramedics and Problems

I was working the night shift, which should have been a warning in the first place. Nothing good ever happens on the night shift.

It was also supposedly multiple traumas instead of a single one, so that should've been a second warning to me. Multiple traumas are not a good sign.

Lastly, the patient was a pirate.

The last factor shouldn't have been surprising, given there are all sorts of people in Storybrooke from all sorts of stories, but this particular pirate could have been (and was on multiple occasions) dangerous.

I didn't realize that until I was standing in the freezing Maine air, in full trauma garb, watching the paramedics haul a gurney out of an ambulance as a woman relayed his stats to me.

"Male, roughly 32 years old, multiple lacerations on his face, arms and chest. Three bones in his rib cage are suspected broken." The woman relayed.

"Any internal bleeding?" I asked, taking hold of the side of the gurney.

"We haven't checked!" The woman called, running back to the ambulance as soon as the injured man was in my care. I looked down at the patient. His face, which was rugged and angular, was covered in blood and scratches. He was groaning, scrunching up his eyes against the light and trying to get up.

"Sir, sir, we need you to relax. You can't get up, you have broken ribs." I had to yell this information over the other sounds of the hospital: wheels squeaking, people shouting, shoes slapping on tile floors. Speakers constantly blaring information that went through one ear and out the other.

I lifted my head and looked around. "Does anyone know this man?!" One woman came sprinting through the automatic trauma doors. She had blonde hair and a frantic expression on her face. I knew her from the times she'd brought her son and various other family members to the hospital. It was Emma Swan.

"I know him!" She cried, running up to the other side of the gurney. She looked down on the man with a mixture of worry and dislike.

"Alright, Mrs. Swan, I need you to tell me this man's name." I told her, not wasting time with formalities.

"Killian," she replied. "Killian Jones. And hide him, hide him quickly!"

I motioned for the paramedics and nurses to push the gurney into a trauma room and lock the door, close the blinds. As soon as he was settled the nurses attached the heart monitor to his chest and I got to work.

I pulled out a miniature flashlight and forced his eyes open with my opposite hand. "Mr. Jones, I'm Dr. Grace Hartfords, the attending trauma surgeon here at Storybrooke Hospital. I need you to stay relaxed; all we're doing is running some tests to make sure you're alright." I spoke to Killian in the calmest voice I could muster. Quietly so Emma and the patient wouldn't hear, I asked a nurse standing next to me what his heart rate was.

"140." She replied, and moved on to get some supplies.

"He's tachycardic, but I think it might go down once he regains full consciousness." I relayed to no one in particular. I was still waving the light over Killian's eyes, checking his pupil's response to light.

"Get that bloody light out of my face!" Killian groaned, swatting my hand away.

"Be careful, he has a-" Emma was about to say, but I cut her off.

"Mr. Jones, please stay calm, we need to check your brain function-" my breath hitched in my throat as the patient lifted his other hand. In place of his left hand, he had a gleaming, razor-sharp hook.

"He has a weapon!" One of the paramedics cried out. "Quickly, tie him down!" A nurse rushed over to the in-built restraints and tried to secure Killian inside of them. "What the bloody hell are you doing?" He cursed, holding his hook away. As more nurses and paramedics scurried towards him, he got increasingly more frantic, obviously spooked by the jumble of people.

"Where does he come from? Is he new to Storybrooke?" I asked Emma while simultaneously tying his feet down. As soon as I'd seen that hook, you bet I moved as far away from it as possible.

"He's Captain Hook." she elaborated. That explained the hook. I finished tying down his legs and inched to the side to help tie down his hands. The nurses were having trouble grabbing the two limbs, obviously a little wary of the damage-inducing hook.

"Hey, stop that! Get your hands off me!"

"Killian, calm down!" Emma yelled over the commotion.

"Okay, I'm going to need you to leave now." I said to her, scurrying past to check his EKG and BP.

I barely heard the savior's cries of protest as I pushed past the staff to check Killian's stats. His heart rate was way too high, and his blood pressure needed to be brought down. "Step back, everyone step back! He's extremely tachycardic and his blood pressure is 150 over 99, he's going into hypertension!" I cried angrily, stepping towards the patient, trying to wave the extra personnel away.

"Mr. Jones, Mr. Jones-" my attempts to retain his stats were unheard as he reached out and struck me, effectively knocking me to the floor and rendering me unconscious.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was only out for a few minutes, ten at the most, but it was enough time for half the staff to take me out of the trauma room and set me up in a chair, and enough time for the other half of the staff to get Mr. Jones' heart rate and blood pressure under control and his hook detained. I waved away the nurses, wondering if they were only helping me because they had nothing else to do.

"Go check the other traumas, we have enough staff in here. Oh, and page a resident to help on this in case it's surgical." I instructed once I was coherent enough to form a plan. The nurse nodded and went off to carry out the order, leaving me alone.

I stood up and straightened my lab coat, hoping to look a defiant as possible. No doubt they had sedated Mr. Jones by then, but I knew he'd still be conscious. I turned to a window looking into a meeting room, studying my reflection. There was a red mark on the side of my face, and there was a small bruise along the bone in my cheek, but it was nothing too serious. I smirked at the picture, feeling defiant in a way.

With a new, more confident mind set I turned on my heel and walked back into Killian's trauma room.

"Mr. Jones! Lovely to see you're somewhat calmer." I said. He was tied down and had a dreamy look on his face, staring at the ceiling. About five nurses bustled around him, checking his stats, running IVs, and doing various other tasks.

Upon my entry, Mr. Jones lifted his head and grinned. "Please, call me Killian." He slurred. I smiled, reminding myself that the patients came first.

"Hello, Killian. We'll have time to properly meet later when you're off the sedatives we had to give you, but I'm Dr. Hartfords. It's very nice to meet you, and your malicious hook." I said, standing next to his head so he didn't do more damage then needed. "You're also on multiple pain killers, which is why you haven't noticed, well, the pain. You've broken some ribs."

"Ah, so you know who I am. Captain Hook of the Jolly Rodger, but if you like Killian, that's fine too. In fact, you can call me... Whatever... You.. Like..." Hook's words became increasingly slower as the sedatives kicked in. When he was completely silent, eyes closed, I turned away and smiled at one of the nurses.

"Modern medicine, what a gift."


	2. You've Got Me Hooked

Standing in the lab, I analyzed a set of X-Ray scans. Killian Jones' X-Ray scans, to be exact.

He broke three ribs, the second, fifth and sixth. The second and fifth were oblique fractures, breaks with a jagged edge, but the bones seemed not too displaced, being held in by his cartilage. The sixth was worse, a comminuted fracture. It was shattered in three places. Unfortunately, there was virtually nothing I could do besides give him painkillers. 

Dr. Whale opened the door with a loud bang, eyes droopy. He was holding a file of CT scans. I assumed it was for the other trauma that came in, the guy that hit Killian with his car.

"Is it true? Can strangers come to Storybrooke now?" I asked him. He looked at me with a tired expression on his face.

"Yes." He muttered. He pulled the black sheer files from their case and snapped them into place on the illuminated board.

I turned back to my set of scans. "What are we going to do about it?"

"Nothing," Dr. Whale sighed. "We're not going to do anything." I frowned at his pessimism. 

He clipped the scans to the board, a black and white picture of a man's abdomen. 

"Ooh, that looks bad." I changed the subject, looking at the CT scan. He had internal bleeding in his chest. I shuddered involuntarily. It sounded terrifying. To not have any air, to feel the liquid sloshing around, but thinking that you weren't in water, and you hadn't been in water all day. So how could you be drowning?

"Want some help on the surgery? Me and Dr. Kepner could scrub in, she's been really eager to do more trauma cases." I offered. As I spoke to Dr. Whale, I noticed a stench in the air. I sniffed the air tentatively. It was coming from Dr. Whale, and it was the smell of alcohol.

I immediately gained a great dislike for Dr. Whale. No matter how bad your problems were, you were never supposed to drink on the job. If you did, lives would be at stake.

"On second hand... maybe Kepner and I will take over. We can just notify the family and then we'll call a cab to take you home." I eased into the sentence. Dr. Whale looked at me.

"That's very nice of you. You can take over my surgery, if you want, but I won't be going home for a little bit." He said, taking down the scans.

"Um, okay," I replied, raising my eyebrows. I peeled the scans off of the x-ray board and followed Dr. Whales out of the dark room.

We walked down the hallway in silence until we reached the waiting area of the Storybrooke hospital, where a large group of people stood solemnly. I recognized all of them immediately. Some good friends, others acquaintances. I saw Mary Margret and David, the first of who was one of my closest friends, Emma and Leroy, who I didn't know that well but still saw every once in a while, and Ruby, another good friend of mine. They were all arguing about something, but stopped when we came walking up. I smiled the warmest smile I could muster as I approached the group.

I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could say one word Dr. Whale and I were bombarded with questions. "Please, please! Quiet down," Dr. Whale hushed, looking stressed out. "I'm sure you're all worried about the patients, but you'll never hear anything if you don't be quiet," The group went silent with Dr. Whale's reprimand. He took a deep breath, putting his hands on his hips. "What happened is that the John Doe has internal bleeding in his chest." Another volley of questions rained down on us.

"Well, fix it then! Stop the bleeding!" Emma said angrily.

"It's not that simple." Dr. Whale huffed, looking tired. I broke into the conversation.

"Internal bleeding is dangerous, especially in the chest. It requires surgery to fix and if we don't stop it then the man will essentially be drowning in his own blood." I said solemnly. Troubled looks were exchanged around the group. "But," I tried to make my tone lighthearted. "We have an excellent team of surgeons on his case, and I'll be supervising the entire time. We're optimistic that he'll make a full recovery."

"What about Killian?" Emma asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"He'll be okay. He broke three ribs, but they'll heal on their own in about a month or two." I replied, relieved to deliver some somewhat good news.

Snow snorted. "He deserves worse." Confused at Snow White's malicious words, I cocked my eyebrows but decided not to comment on it.

"Dr. Whale-" I turned to consult with him, but he wasn't there. "Dr. Whale?" He had wandered over to a ragged looking man hunched over in one of the straight-backed hospital chairs. Dr. Whale said something to him, waving his hands frantically, and the man looked up. With a jolt, I realized that it was Mr. Gold: Storybrooke's cruelest, most unforgiving man.

"What's wrong with him?" I muttered.

"It's Belle." Ruby whispered to me. Somehow, my best friend had fallen in love with Mr. Gold. I didn't see how or why the pair worked, but Belle said it was like the beauty and the beast; it was about seeing the good in people despite their ugly exterior. 

Ruby continued, "Hook, er, Killian shot her, and she went over the town line. Now she doesn't remember who she is." Ruby whispered to me, her tone sorrowful. 

I was instantly floored. Belle was my absolute best friend. She was such a sweet and kind woman, I couldn't fathom how anyone could hurt her. What kind of monster would do such a thing?

Killian Jones would do such a thing.

I was furious. No, I was a volcano: White hot rage seeped through my chest like magma, and I had to excuse myself through gritted teeth. I understood Mary Margaret's hatred in that moment. Her torment was mine.

What else are you supposed to feel when someone shoots your best friend?

\-----------------------------------------

I burst into Killian's room, not caring if I disturbed him. "Out!" I bellowed at the interns checking his statistics. They left with frightened looks on their faces as soon as I said it.

Hook was awake, grinning in a plush bathrobe. My face flushed. I despised him. I hated him. How could he do that?!

"You shot Belle?!" I shrieked.

"Usually when I encounter beautiful women, I have them screaming much different things." He mused with a cocky look on his face.

My expression darkened. "You have three broken ribs. One of which is shattered in multiple places. If I wanted to, I could hurt you very, very badly right now."

The captain looked satisfyingly more intimidated as I spoke the words. Hook averted his eyes, his gaze darkening with some malicious intent. "I had to get to Rumplestiltskin's heart. It just so happened that he keeps it in Belle."

"That's not a reason to shoot someone! Do you not have a brain?!" I yelled. I felt like pulling my own hair out. "She doesn't remember who she is! She could be dying, and you don't care!"

"What do you care, anyway? You're my doctor, I presume, not Belle's therapist." Killian wrinkled his nose, eyeing me with disdain.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself, didn't I?" I said sarcastically. "I'm Dr. Grace Hartfords, the best trauma surgeon this side of Maine, and I just so happen to be Belle's best friend!"

Killian shrugged after taking a moment to regain his thoughts. "I did what I had to do."

"And what, exactly, did you have to do?"

His face took on a dark expression. "I had to let the man who took everything from me know what my pain feels like. I had to let that crocodile, that beast, know what it feels like to have your love taken away from you." He snarled. He said the words with such ferocity that I was surprised. 

"Rumplestiltskin? What could he have possibly done that warranted this?" I cried.

Killian looked me dead in the eye and replied, "He ripped the heart out of my first love. Right in front of me. Because she chose me instead of him. She loved me, and he killed her for it." I started to see less of Killian and more of Captain Hook.

As I looked into Hook's hate-filled eyes, I felt as if I understood his motive. I questioned what I would have done if I saw my love have their heart ripped out in front of me. Would I not have done the same thing? Wouldn't I have wanted revenge?

No. Not if it meant innocent people would get hurt. 

"Belle was innocent," I reasoned, letting this conviction lead me to reason. "Why didn't you just shoot Mr. Gold?" I plopped into one of the stiff hospital chairs placed around the room. 

"Because he needs to know pain. My pain."

I was sickly awe-struck, like the way you were when you saw something so disturbing you couldn't look away. This man was so deeply rooted in revenge, that he didn't even think twice about shooting someone. About doing something horrible.

"Dr. Hartfords to Room 239B, Dr. Hartfords to Room 239B." The speaker in the hallway crackled.

I stared at Killian. "Shouldn't you be going, love?" He said darkly. I lifted my chin.

"This discussion is not over, Captain Hook. Mark my words." I gave him one last glare and left the room, divided between two undeniable emotions.


	3. Surgeries Save Lives

John Doe's surgery was done. It was surprisingly smooth; his heart didn't fail, no organs were compromised, the bleeders didn't burst. Without problem, we got the bleeding under control.

What worried me was Dr. Whale. He was going to observe, and assist every once in a while, but he didn't show up until the last ten minutes.

I was elbow-deep in the man's chest when Dr. Whale burst in, fully scrubbed.

"Dr. Whale, where the hell were you?!" I said angrily, ignoring the fact that I had half my arm inside a man'a torso.

"Relax, I was just stretching my legs." He replied smoothly. I fixed him with a glare.

"If your name is on the OR board, it means your scheduled for a surgery. Which means you have to show up for the surgery."

"But I'm here now," He raised his eyebrows. "Is there anything I can do to help?" I retracted my hands, having finished tying the last bleeder.

"We're done here, so you can close off," I huffed. "But you better make sure this guy doesn't even have a trace of a scar." I ordered, walking away from the patient. A nurse peeled off my blood-soaked gloves and I walked into the scrubbing room. I quickly washed my hands and left the room, praying that Dr. Whale was completely sober.

When I reached the waiting room, the group of fairy tale characters were still there, waiting. When they saw me coming, they stood up. "How'd it go?" Mary Margret asked.

I smiled warmly, letting the good news cheer me up. "It went really well. There were no complications or anything," I paused, then continued hesitantly, "I'm sorry to relay though that Dr. Whale was not scrubbed in until the last few minutes, though. He's closing the patient up now." Ruby smiled at me knowingly.

"No good is going to come from this." Leroy grumbled and David silenced him with a few words.

"When can we see him?" Charming asked.

"He'll be awake in a few hours, so if you want you can go home, rest, and I'll call you when he's awake." I smiled. Mary Margret let out a sigh of relief and pulled me into a hug.

"Thank you, Grace." She whispered.

"No problem." I whispered back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Killian's room was sure to be filled with interns, I thought as I walked down the hall in my fresh scrubs. They were probably just checking him post-operation, but the petty part of my brain was convinced that they were just there because they liked him. Which was a problem, because at the moment, I despised him.

The lights flickered above me as I cruised down the hallway. It was always cheerful in this part of the hospital (mostly because the best nurses were stationed here). The halls were quieter than usual, without the usual bustle of interns and residents scurrying around. I stopped at the nurses station to inquire about it.

"I'm not sure, I think they're all checking their post-ops. It's the middle of the afternoon, I'm sure that most of them are on their lunch break." The nurse said. I liked her, she was one of the best scrub nurses.

"Thank you Rose. I'll just be checking 118's stats and then I'll be out of your way." I smiled and headed over to 118, the current home of the one and only Mr. Jones. As soon as I opened the door, I knew why all the staff were gone.

"And just what are you doing in here?" I bellowed, steam practically hissing from my ears from anger. Almost everyone I'd assigned to Hook's case were crowded in his tiny hospital room. 4 interns were sharing chairs, 2 residents were sitting on the tiny window seat, and there was even a nurse seated at the end of his bed. Every head whipped towards me when I entered and they all froze in fear, caught red-handed.

"You have patients! People that are waiting for you to check on them and make sure that they are not dying, and you have the audacity to sit around in here with a patient who is perfectly healthy?!" I waited in steaming anger for anyone to say something in their defense. When nobody spoke, I continued. "If one of those patients died we could be sued for negligence. And not to mention that this man is a criminal. He shot someone and sent them over the town line. Did none of you notice the hand cuffs?!" I yelled. The nurse seated at the end of Captain Hook's bed lurched away from him in fear. "Are you dumb or just blind?!" I cried, throwing my hands up in exasperation. No one replied.

I pointed to two interns I didn't particularly like. "You two, you're on scut. O'Malley, check my post-ops and Lexie, prep 325 for an appendectomy." The four frightened interns scurried from the room with mumbles of yes m'am, and right away m'am. I turned to my residents. "Go on your lunch breaks. We'll continue this discussion when I'm finished here." Finally, everyone was gone from the room, leaving just me and Hook.

"You're a little harsh on them, lass. Maybe you should ease up a little." He remarked.

"Don't even start," I grumbled, moving over to his monitor. I flipped through his charts and wrinkled my nose. "Did they even check your stats?"

"You seem to be angry a lot," Hook smirked, clearly enjoying my annoyance. "You need to loosen up. Take a vacation." Hook went on, ignoring me. "I could help you, if you like."

I turned to him, fixing him with a fiery glare. "You are the last man on this Earth I would want to help me relax."

"Oh, I'm not that bad," Hook rolled his eyes.

"Yes, you most definitely are."

"I am devilishly handsome and adventurous."

"You shot my best friend." I pulled out a pen and started writing down his stats, continuing the argument with perceived uninterest.

"I hope that doesn't deter you." He smirked, obviously enjoying my torment.

"That is all the deterrent I need, thank you very much," I snapped. That was enough to shut his mouth.

I continued marking the chart in silence until Hook had the audacity to break it. "If I what I've been told is correct, everyone here has a different identity in the Enchanted Forest. Regina cast some spell on you."

I stopped writing and gave him a look from the corner of my eye. "Yes..."

"Well, what I'm wondering, is what kind of fairytale character were you? Cinderella's grumpy cousin?" He joked.

"That's none of your business." I turned back to the chart, trying to tune him out.

"I'm just curious. Surely that's not a crime?"

"It should be," I grumbled.

"Oh, come on!" Hook reached over and nudged me with his hand. "You know almost everything about me. Doesn't that entitle me to some information about you?"

I recoiled from his touch, eyeing his cocky grin with disdain. "No, it doesn't."

Hook raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

I glowered for a moment, annoyed that he was so foolishly brave to persist even after witnessing the full force of my fury. Then, I sighed. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

Killian grinned. "No, I'm not,"

I sighed and looked at the ceiling, asking myself why I was doing this."I don't remember what happened in the Enchanted Forest. The curse didn't break for me." I returned to the clipboard, scribbling down a few last words. Any other symptoms? Other then being a twat, no. Although I wouldn't mind if he had a heart attack.

"Ah, I see." He said, but didn't elaborate. "How's Belle?"

My head inflamed once again as he mentioned Belle. I whirled around from the chart to face him, fury etched upon my face. "Oh, no you don't. You don't get to kiss up to me with 'how's Belle?' talk like you never shot her. Because you did, and it happened, and I know you couldn't give a shit about what happens to her. You have no right to act like you care, like you even have a heart, because I know you don't!" I yelled.

Killian held a somewhat sorrowful look on his face. "Grace." He said.

"Dr. Hartfords." I corrected through gritted teeth.

He sighed. "Dr. Hartfords. You seem to be forgetting that I am a pirate. I'm sorry that my actions have caused you pain. But what Rumplestiltskin did to me..." his face became dark. "He deserves every bit of pain I can inflict on him."

I turned away, my jaw tightening. "What could Gold have possibly done that could be worth killing an innocent person?" For a moment, it was quiet, with no sounds except the steady beep of the heart monitor.

"He ripped out the heart of my true love in front of me. All because she loved me instead of him."

I whipped my head to his, my heart lurching in my chest. "I... I didn't know..."

"Feeling a little conflicted, are you?" Hook sneered. "That crocodile took everything from me. He deserves to know my pain. And if that means killing 'an innocent,' well, so be it."

"So, now that you have your revenge, what have you gained, Captain Hook?" I hissed. "Are you happier? More fulfilled? Did ruining Belle's lives- and the lives of all her friends and family- do anything to make you better off?"

Killian met my gaze. "This isn't about happiness."

I put my hands on the side of his bed and leaned in, my body tensing, meeting his icy gaze with my own steely glare. "Then I pity you." For a moment, there was nothing; just the erratic beeps from the heart monitor and my rage simmering off of me in waves.

Hook took a deep breath, breaking the silence. "I... understand, how you feel. I only hope that one day you understand how I feel. I don't want my doctor to hate me."

I held his icy blue gaze with one of my own that rivaled his intensity. "If you're looking for me to forgive you, I will. But only when I believe you really are sorry. Because you can't be a pirate in Storybrooke. You have to be a person."


	4. Words or Weapons?

Time was going in slow motion. Nothing mattered except the patient. Except my brain seemed to think that something did. I was acutely aware of the metal gurney digging into my knees as I knelt on the mattress next to the patient, who, if I stopped CPR, would die. My voice steadily counting the compressions was muffled I my ears. A murky one, two, three, four, five. The wind created by the speed of the gurney blew my hair in front of my focused face almost angelically. My brain was focused on one thing and one thing only.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five.

The world sped up when one of the wheels banged against the wall and rattled the moving bed. My vision spun dramatically as we skidded into a trauma room. "Get a crash cart!" I bellowed, still doing the chest compressions.

"C'mon, c'mon..." I muttered to myself as the staff set up a heart monitor around me. They were too slow today, maybe because of the lack of trauma or the unusually warm day or the fact that it was Sunday and most of us weren't supposed to be at work. The only thing I'd been doing all day was filing, charts, and post-ops and I'd been praying for a trauma all day and the minute we get one they can't find a crash cart, despite it being the most important medical item at the hospital.

"What's the heart rate at?" I asked my intern, Stephanie.

"Too low, Dr. Hartfords." She answered me. I huffed in annoyance.

"What's the number, Stephanie."

"Oh, it's 58."

"Dammit." I muttered. I did my compressions harder. "Where's that crash cart?!"

"We're right here Grace, you can step down now." Dr. Whale said, coming up beside me. I stopped the chest compressions and hopped off the gurney, simultaneously ripping open the man's shirt. A nurse handed me shock paddles.

"Charge to 200." I commanded, holding the paddles to attention.

"Charged!" She replied. I placed the paddles on the man's chest and braced myself as the shock coursed through the metal, the jolt of it nearly sending me flying.

The heart monitor briefly skyrocketed from the charge before flatlining again in a monotone, never ending beep.

"Charge to 300!" I roared again. placing the paddles back on his chest. The crash cart whirred and shook as it filled with electricity and I locked my jaw, knowing that if we lost a patient on such a slow day it would not set a good reputation for the hospital.

"Charged." The nurse said back to me. I pushed the paddles deeper into the man's chest. I was connected to this dying man, him and me. He wanted to live. I wanted him to live. It was my job to make sure he lived. Maybe, if I wished just like the people in the fairy tales did, this man would not die. If I pressed the paddles deep enough, if I willed it hard enough, would this man live?

My fingertips tingled as the shock came and my gaze shot to the heart monitor. Nothing. Only the steady beeping. I watched it, begging, pleading, willing. Live.

"Should I charge again, Doctor?" The nurse asked.

"No," I replied. I had a feeling in my gut. "Just wait."

It was so quiet that I thought the sound of the flatline was my own. The sound of my own heart stopping, settling into a commitment with death. I wondered if I would live long enough to have a merciful death, or if I would die like this, with no warning. A heart attack in the middle of lunch, a car crash after ice cream. Flatlining in a hospital.

Finally, a spike on the heart monitor. A lone beep. And another. And another, until the patient's heart was good as new, beating again and again. 

I let out a sigh of relief and exhaustion. "Good work everyone." One of the nurses said happily and started clapping. Handing the shock paddles back to the nurse, I clapped too. There was always a rewarding, straining joy that came with bringing a patient back from the brink of death.

"If you need me, I'll be in the break room." I told my intern before walking out of the room. I needed a coffee break.

As I stretched my tired arms, I jumped as a voice said, "Impressive."

I lifted my head and was simultaneously relieved and revolted to see Killian. "Thanks."

"Do you think you'd ever let me try that?" He asked. He was leaning against the wall in one of the thin white bathrobes the hospital offered to the patients, a cocky smile plastered on his face and his hand with the hook stuffed in the robe's pocket. The hook was, of course, in the Sheriff's office, away from it's owner.

I snorted, "Not a chance, pirate." I turned and walked the other way towards the nurses' station. Killian pushed off the wall behind me and hurried to keep up with me, limping from his injuries.

"What about that thing you do with your hands, c..." He settled in step beside me. I was a fast walker (I had to be) and I didn't slow down for the injured man.

"CPR?"

"Yes, that." He grimaced as we reached a flight of stairs.

"Everyone here is specially trained. Go through four years of medical school, and then maybe I'll let you near an ER." I paused, on the 10th step, while Killian was lagging behind on the fourth, "Do you want some help?"

The pirate glared at me from below. "I'm perfectly fine, thank you. I've had worse than a broken rib."

I rolled my eyes and trotted down the steps. Positioning myself next to Killian, I ignored my gut feeling of hatred and looped an arm through his to guide him up the stairs. "You know, one of the things we learn in our four years of medical school is how to recognize when someone needs help, and when to admit that you need help."

"Well, like you said, I'm no fancy doctor." Killian said through gritted teeth, concentrating on hauling his feet up the stairs.

My arm tingled where my skin met his, a constant reminder of who he was, what he had done. I still hadn't visited Belle. I'd heard plenty of times about what happened to her, how she didn't remember anyone, not even Mr. Gold. I didn't think I was strong enough to witness it for myself.

Suddenly, I felt sick. I unlinked my arm from Killian's and let him climb the rest of the way up the stairs by himself.

I bounded up the rest of the stairs and paused at the top, my hand on the railing, momentarily lost in thought. Maybe I should go see Belle. It would help her if she had someone she knew to remind her of her old life. 

But what would she say? Some people were confused, aggressive even, after memory loss. Would she recognize me? If I talked to her, would she shun me?

"You alright, love?" Killian asked, finally surmounting the grueling staircase. I blinked, and turned my head to look at the concerned pirate.

"What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine." I waved him off and started walking again. "I need to check some more patients so if you want me to call you a wheelchair while I'm at the nurses station you should tell me now." I offered.

"As long as I get your prettiest nurse." He said from behind me. I didn't have to see to know that he probably had that trademark satisfied grin on his face. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, you're walking back to your room."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was later, about 7:30. I was just about to head home, but I knew I needed to do one last thing.

I was in my day clothes, jeans and a striped sweater over a blue shirt. I wouldn't normally have dressed as nice, but I figured Belle would like to see me in something other than scrubs.

Belle.

I was on front of her room, room 253 in the West Wing. The assisted living wing.

I took a shaky breath and held my hands in front of my stomach, picking at my nails.

Should I knock? No, I never did that before. But this wasn't before.

I took a deep breath, steadier this time, and knocked three times on the door.

"Come in!" I heard Belle say.

I grasped the metal handle and pushed open the door. The first thing I noticed was the huge window, right next to the bed. I smiled. It was perfect for Belle. It gave her something to look at besides basic patterned hospital walls and the TV.

"Hi, Belle." I smiled softly, raising my hand in a small wave. I realized my legs were shaking and I pulled a chair next to her bed so I could talk to her.

"Hello?" she said, with a confused look on her face.

My chest twitched and I wrapped my hand around my wrist. "It's me, Grace." I said gently.

"Grace?" She repeated.

"Yes, I'm a doctor here. We used to be best friends. Do you remember me?"

"I... I don't."


	5. Heartbroken

I was heartbroken.

I'd already known when I walked into the room that she didn't remember me, but seeing it first hand was another level of trauma altogether.

Funny, I thought. I was a trauma surgeon, trained to fix situations like this, yet I was utterly helpless in the moment where I needed my skills the most.

I didn't let my smile waver as I looked at Belle. No matter how deflated I was feeling inside, I maintained my smile. For her. "That's okay", I said softly. "We'll get you back. We'll get your memory back."

She smiled back at me. "I've seen pictures of you. Someone... Ruby, I think.. showed me pictures."

"That's good. Who have you seen besides me?" I asked. She looked out the window, studying the vast expanse of darkness. Her face was concentrated, trying to pinpoint something she didn't remember. I shivered, praying to god that this didn't last.

"Besides you and Ruby, I've seen Ma... Mary Margret? And her husband."

"What about Rumple- Mr. Gold?"

Her face went pale, but it might've just been the lights. I got up and walked around to her heart monitor just in case, though.

"No, I haven't seen anyone named Mr. Gold." She said, following my form with her pale blue eyes.

I picked up the clipboard with her charts and thumbed through them, though it was more to give my hands something to do than out of necessity. "Really? That's strange. You two used to be... well, close." I peered at her through my lashes, gripping onto the clipboard with both of my hands to keep them from shaking.

She averted her eyes and shook her head. "Well, I haven't seen him." I swallowed uncomfortably. She took a deep breath, mustering up a weak smile to break the silence that settled with her confession. "So you're a doctor here?" She asked.

"I am. You used to visit me, and volunteer." I shoved the clipboard back into it's pocket on the stand. "Do you remember anything about that?" She guiltily looked at her hands and shook her head.

My throat constricted and I suddenly felt terrible. No doubt seeing all these people from her past was making her feel awful. Everyone was expecting her to remember them, remember something, but she couldn't help not knowing anything.

I swallowed and moved away from her bed. "I... I think I'll go. Give you some time to adjust. I know hospitals aren't all that comforting." I pursed my lips. She nodded and gave me a tight-lipped smile.

"That's okay with me." She said. I shuffled towards the door, hiding my crestfallen face, when she said six words that drove a knife through my chest:

"It was nice to meet you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day, my conversation with Belle stuck with me like a song I couldn't stop singing. I tried to be optimistic, to forget about what she had said, but I couldn't help it. I was devastated.

Some part of me hoped that I had gotten through to her. I was determined to help her regain her memory; I felt like talking to her was a start to her remembering.

As I left a CT scan room, I was intercepted by the one and only Killian Jones.

"Shouldn't you be off flirting with some nurse or something?" I grumbled, feeling especially testy towards the pirate after what had happened the night before with Belle.

He inhaled, seeming to ponder my words for a moment. Then, a grin cracked through his facade. "No. I thought I should be flirting with you instead."

I couldn't stop the blush that rose to my cheeks. "Oh, shove off, why don't you,"

"I think you know me well enough by now to know that that's never going to happen." Killian raised an eyebrow cockily.

"Well maybe it should happen," I burst, my cheeks flushed with anger and my hands curled at my sides. Who was he to act like everything was okay, when he was the sole perpetrator of everything bad in my life at the moment?

Killian's smile fell, replaced with a curiously concerned look. "Are you alright, love?"

I averted my gaze. "I spoke to Belle last night."

Killian went still. "Oh," he swallowed. "How was it?"

I expected myself to blow up with all of my usual fury that came when Killian mentioned Belle. But this time, -and I wasn't sure what it was; maybe it was the sincerity of his voice, or my lack of sleep, or the fact that all of my anger and sadness had been spent in the last few days- I let him comfort me. I just broke.

"She didn't remember anything," I whispered. "Not even me. Her best friend."

Killian's face contorted into some unidentifiable emotion- grief? guilt?. He raised his hand and tentatively set it on my shoulder. "I'm sorry," he muttered.

My eyes darted to my shoes. I understood him now. "I know you are."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was the same time as yesterday. I was in almost the same exact position, my heart thumping, in my day clothes, in front of Belle's door.

I didn't knock this time. I grasped the handle and walked right in. The first thing I heard was the blaring sound of the TV, some sort of animal documentary from the sound of David Attenborough's droning voice.

"Belle?" I called. There was no answer. I peered farther into the room. The bed was neatly made with the blatant patterned sheet tucked beneath the pillows, and a pitcher of water on the mahogany table next to it. Belle was nowhere to be seen.

Confused, I yanked open the bathroom door. There was nothing in there except the standard issue bottles of shampoo and conditioner, laying abandoned in one corner of the plain counter.

I lurched away from the door and practically ran to the inactive heart monitor. I ripped the clipboard from the stand and, steadying it in my hands, searched for the name of the patient.

It was not Belle's name that was written there, but someone's else's entirely. Which meant that Belle was not at the hospital.

But if Belle wasn't at the hospital, that meant that somebody discharged her, which meant that she was better...

Which meant that Belle had her memory back.


	6. The Midnight Sunset

My feet slapped the tile floor. I had dropped my handbag and the only thing I had in my hand were my phone and keys, so I was ready to drive away without a moment's hesitation.

I was running as fast as I could. My mind was going a mile a minute and my heart was jumping like a jack rabbit. She remembers.

I skidded to a stop in front of the nurses station and slammed my hands on the desk to steady my body. I could feel the adrenaline racing through my veins. The nurse, who was falling asleep at such a late hour, jumped at the loud noise.

"I need the stats on the patient in room 253, Belle." I breathed, heaving from the exercise. The nurse blinked.

"Right away, Doctor." She swiveled in her chair and started typing into her computer. Impatient, I clicked my nails on the counter and waited. Could she be any slower?

"Miss Belle was discharged earlier this afternoon by Dr. Shepard. Apparently she read fully lucid." She relayed the information.

Words can't even begin to describe the happiness I felt. I wanted to jump and shout, yell that my best friend was okay to the whole world. "Thank you, thank you so much!" I cried, snatching my belongings off the table and sprinting away from the nurses station towards the parking lot.

I reached the main entrance and bolted for the door, running as fast as I could, I was almost there-

I slammed into a figure clad in black. The momentum made me fall back onto the floor, landing on my back with a painful jolt. "Hey, watch where you're going!" I shouted impatiently.

"Grace! I thought your shift ended an hour ago," The figure said. I wiped my bangs away from my face and was shocked to see that it was Killian, out of the hospital robe and in a black leather pirate suit. I was taken aback; the rings on his hand and the eyeliner under his eyes were such different traits than I was used to. And of course, there was the hook.

I looked at the gleaming metal hook with worry in my chest, remembering how it rendered me unconscious the day we met. Gleaming and razor-sharp, Killian could easily tear out my heart with one swipe.

"Grace? Are you alright, love?" His voice broke me out of my fearful stupor. My blue eyes met his, and traveled down to the hand he was extending to help me. Feeling icy cold in my chest, I stood up by myself and rubbed my back.

"I'm fine." I said coldly. "Have you been discharged?"

"I have." Killian said with a smile. "Or at least, that's what the doctor said when I signed all those fancy forms. Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"I-" I was so close to telling him what I'd learnt. But the hook, gleaming in the light, reminded me of what he had done to Belle. I couldn't trust him, this man with a hook. "I forgot.. to, uh... I forgot to feed my cat?" I said, hoping it sounded convincing enough.

"Oh, well, let me accompany you to your horse."

"Car."

"Right, car," He held out an elbow for me, but I didn't trust this Killian. I didn't know him.

"Thanks for offering, but I'm okay. I can get there by myself." I made my excuses, beginning to wander towards the doors.

"Oh, it's no trouble, lass. At least let me walk with you." He pressed, opening a door for me. I opened the other door for myself and walked through, trying to get him to take the hint, but he kept going.

"Fine," I muttered. I walked at a fast pace in place of running for manners' sake.

"So, what's your cat's name?"

"Oh, uh... um.. Pickles."

Killian chuckled. "I've never had a cat in my life. I'm more of a dog person."

"Oh really?" I rushed, not really caring. I moved faster, trying to lose him. How is he still next to me?

"Yes, there were many dogs on my ship," He continued. I stopped walking and looked at him under the streetlight.

"You have a ship?"

"Of course I do. The Jolly Roger, the finest ship in the ocean," He replied proudly. I started off again towards my car. Why did I have to park on the other side of he parking lot today?

I stopped and turned on my heel to face Hook. I was going to have to be blunt. "Look, Killian, I love talking with you, but right now I've really got to go. If you need a cab you can go back to the hospital and ask them to call one for you. I'm sorry, but I really have to go, okay?"

Killian looked crestfallen for a moment before he met my pleading eyes and smiled softly. "If that's what you want, lass." My heart melted. I almost couldn't believe he was capable of doing the amount of evil he had inflicted.

Almost.

"Thank you, Killian." I said politely, unlocking my car and clambering inside. I stuck the key inside of the ignition and twisted it, hearing the satisfying roar of the engine.

Resting my hands on the steering wheel, I took a few moments to focus and take some deep breaths in the dark of the night. Belle would most likely be visiting Mr. Gold. I decided to drive there. I punched the coordinates into the GPS and and moved my foot onto the pedal, but was surprised when it got caught on something rubbery and wet.

I crinkled my forehead and turned on the overhead light. Peering down towards my feet, I gasped. Sticking out through the floor of the car was a rubber pipe, leaking hot gasoline into the floor of my car.

"No, no, no!" I yelled, opening the door and getting out. I inspected my gas-covered shoes and huffed. There was no way my car would run. I turned around, looking for a pedestrian, but the only person I could see was Killian, limping back towards the hospital.

"Ki-" I started to shout, but yelped when something burning touched my leg. I jumped back and rubbed my calf. Squinting my eyes, I searched through the darkness for the source of the heat, but saw nothing until a red fiery hotness burst up on the floor of the vehicle.

I stared at the fire, somewhat mesmerized by the orange flames brewing in my only means of transportation.

Finally, I snapped out of it turned to the hospital. I started running again, shrieking, "Fire, there's a fire! Killian-"

And then nothing.

~~~~~  
Killian's POV

Killian was right at the hospital doors when he heard her yelling. Maybe she's come to her senses. He thought to himself. Removing his hand from the door handle, turned to meet her, reminding himself not to gloat.

He could just see her through the darkness of the night, thanks to his good eyesight, so accustomed to squinting out on the water. She was running, as she usually did. It had taken Killian all of his time at the hospital to walk as fast as she did, much less run. She called it a crucial skill. Some of his favorite memories of Storybrooke were of watching her get a beep from her pager (as she explained to him) and sprinting out of the room, her dark hair flying wildly as she ran.

Killian walked closer to her, taking his time to savor his victory, but he knew something was wrong when she started to yell.

"Fire!" She screamed. "There's a fire! Killian-"

Killian's name reached his ears and before he could yell back the sky was set ablaze in an explosion of red and orange. With a jolt, he realized it wasn't just pretty lights: it was an explosion. And Grace was right in the middle of it.


	7. Smoke and Dust

Killian's POV:

The explosion spread through the night like blood and smoke billowed outwards like a disease. Killian was forced to retreat to the safety of the hospital, or he wouldn't survive.

Grace wouldn't survive.

He couldn't do nothing. He owed her that much, after what he did.

The hospital staff were being slow to respond. Killian ran to the nearest nurses' desk and slammed his hand on the table, startling the half-asleep woman sitting there. "I need help!" He cried.

"W-what?" The nurse blinked, taken aback by the rude awakening. "Sir, you'll have to go to the trauma wing-"

"Page a doctor! There was a bloody explosion and... and..." his face contorted. He couldn't say it.

The nurses' eyes drifted to the glass doors and the fires behind them. She gasped and fumbled for the phone.

"Paging all available personnel, we have an emergency outside of the central lobby. I repeat, paging all available personnel, we have an emergency outside-"

Killian turned away from the desk to face the chaos outside. They would never reach her in time.

Grace once said he couldn't be a pirate in Storybrooke. He learned she was right. It was time to something right in his life, and be a hero.

~~~~~~~

Grace's POV

Darkness. Fuzzy darkness.

And cold.

My back hurt. My shoulders were throbbing. It felt nothing like my bed.

Where was I? At home?

Obviously not. It was too uncomfortable for that.

And dusty. Too dusty. My lungs tingled.

I didn't like it.

My mouth was wide open, taking deep breaths through a mouthful of dust and rubble.

And my head. I'd never be able to stand up again.

I opened my eyes.

I couldn't see anything. Everything was murky, fuzzy, obscured like there was a film over my eyes. I could only vaguely make out the pale figure of my arm, resting in what looked like mulch.

I lifted my head and immediately cried out; my skull was pulsing with pain. I let it rest on the hard surface I was lying on once again. There was no doubt in my mind that there was something wrong with me.

I took a deep breath, trying not to choke on the air. One thought made it through the haze: I needed help.

First things first: I needed to see. I brought my fingers up to my face to clear away the grime from my eyes. They shook so violently that I nearly poked them out, and I relaxed for fear of injuring myself any more.

It seemed I'd have to work without my eyesight.

"Help..." I croaked.

Silence. I began to cough, the dirty air not enough for my lungs. I could just hear the shouts of people, so close but not close enough to help me.

"Help..." I tried again, but it was even weaker this time. 

I reached out with my shaking hand again. I needed something, anything. My palm skimmed over rocks and burning hot pieces of rubber and soil but nothing I could use to make a sound. To make a noise.

I tried with my other arm, but made a throaty noise of despair when a pain too blinding to bear shot up the tissues of my limb. Wheezing and coughing, I flung my good arm over my chest and painstakingly heaved myself over. 

My breaths became even more labored with the increased pressure of my chest against the ground and I groped around with my trembling right hand to find something of use. I wanted so desperately to be found, to be in a warm bed, to be with someone I knew, with Killian, or Belle.

Killian.

I missed him.

My fingers recoiled as they touched something cool and sturdy. Blindly I swept my arm across it, revealing it to be a car door, or a sheet of metal.

Suddenly, there was a pain in my chest and I choked on my breath. I went limp as a rag doll, my face pressed against the pavement, inhaling and exhaling just to get a scrap of oxygen down my throat.

When it finally passed, I reached out with my arm again. My face twitched in concentration and pain. With the effort of a hundred elephants, I raised my hand and banged against the door. It echoed into the frenzy and all I could think of was Thank you, thank you. I have a chance.

I struck it again, cringing at the severity of my breathing. Again it made the echo, bringing me one step closer to health.

"Hey! I hear something" I heard someone shout. Encouraged, I hit again, as loud and strong as I could. I'm right here! I'm right here!

I slapped the door in one last attempt at rescue and then, too exhausted to strain myself any more than needed, went still.

I barely felt it as someone lifted me up into their arms. The only thing I was aware of was the fuzziness in my head.

I was so cold. Where was I?

My shoulder hurt.

Where's Killian?

~~~~~~~~~~  
Killian's POV

The dust around Killian's moving body was unrelenting as he searched for Grace. Most of the hospital staff were searching in groups, in the big areas, but he saw her as it happened. He knew where she was, but because of the debris blocking his view there would be no way he could find her in time to save her if she was seriously injured.

He didn't know what to do. A pirate's work is almost primarily based on sight. The stars, the ocean, all are primary tools a captain needs to use. A good sailor cannot properly travel without perfect vision. If we were on the open sea, Killian thought, he would be back with Grace in one fourth the time it was taking at the moment.

He began to wander around on frantic legs, having no real direction. He could only hope that he would stumble upon her.

He stopped to wipe the dirt out of his eyes and adjust the bandana he had tied over his mouth. Then, like everyone had gone quiet just for that sound, he heard a clunking noise. Killian stood perfectly still, listening for the clunk again. Knowing Storybrooke, it could be a villain.

Or it could be Grace.

He heard it again, louder this time. Killian immediately jumped into action, sprinting at full speed towards the sound. "Hey! I hear something!" Someone shouted. He heard the echo again and veered to the right, changing his course. He was so close. He knew he was. He had to be.

He finally saw her, sprawled between a mound of red mulch and a concrete bumper. A car door lay just above her head and she had a shaking, bloody hand extended. She hit it one more time before falling still, struggling to breath. He could hear the difficult intake of breath from where he was watching and his heart broke, knowing she was probably choking on the dust.

Killian skidded to a stop right in front of where she was passed out. He grimaced at the sight; her shoulder was bloody and bent at an awkward angle; Her left leg was bleeding and her right foot was twitching; her face was bloodied and bruised. Gently, Killian shimmied his arms underneath her figure and lifted her up. She was still conscious, evident by the droopy opening and closing of her eyes, but their usual brilliance was faded and glassy.

"Don't worry, Grace," He whispered comfortingly. "You're going to be okay."

Killian lifted his head from her form and looked into the fog for help, an expression of worry on his rugged face. "HEY!" He shouted into the fog. "I FOUND SOMEONE! I NEED HELP!" His voice cracked.

"I NEED HELP!"


	8. The Aftermath

I tore the scans out of my intern's hands and groaned when I saw them. "This is bad. Very bad." I threw the scans half heartedly onto my lap.

"What's the diagnosis?" Lexie asked, standing to my left.

"Spinal cord damage. It was temporary for the eyesight, but without surgery it could leave me with a permanent disability in my hand and foot."

Killian, who was standing on the right side of my hospital bed, put his hand on my shoulder. "Dr. Grey, do you really think Dr. Hartfords should be reading her own scans?" He directed the question at Lexie. I scowled at him.

"Mr. Jones, I-"

"I'm the attending, she's the intern. If I tell her to show me the scans, she shows them to me." I grumbled. I reached out with my shaking right hand and grasped the scans. I was able to hold them for no more than five seconds before I had to drop them.

"Dammit." I muttered, drawing my quivering hand close to my chest.

After the explosion, I was taken to the ER by Killian. I sustained a spinal cord injury that caused my right hand and foot to have a tremor. It had also accounted for the loss of my eyesight, but fortunately I had trained my residents well. They'd gotten my eyesight back first thing and then moved on to my other injuries. I had 16 stitches in my thigh, where I had gotten cut by debris. My right shoulder had the same issue, but it was cut right at the joint and made moving it impossible. I'd decided my own treatment and gotten stitches and a sling to hold it in place until we could decide on a more permanent treatment. 

It could've been worse, everyone said, except it really couldn't. I was starting to understand why everyone complained about hospitals. Being a patient at my own hospital was agonizing. The food was terrible, I wasn't allowed to even look at cases, and I was confined to my bed all hours of the day.

That wasn't even the worst of it.

Within half an hour of my injury they'd gotten a neck brace and secured it on my neck with strict instructions never to take it off, because it could cause more damage than had already happened (which I knew, of course, but it was hospital protocol to explain everything). But bloody hell, I wanted to take that thing off.

Killian took my trembling hand in his and squeezed it, not minding that my own tremor was making his arm bounce up and down. My neck went hot at the touch. Killian had been a godsend. He had saved my life.

That had to count for something, didn't it?

"Can we operate?" I asked Lexie, interrupting my own thoughts. She glanced at Killian, and then back at me, confused.

"I know the answer," I rolled my eyes. "But what do you think?"

"Oh!" She laughed nervously. "Well, I think if we operated, you'd have a high chance of a full recovery since the damage isn't incredibly severe."

"Correct," I raised my eyebrows. "And what type of surgery will we be doing?"

"A Dural Tear Repair." She replied back instantly.

Killian raised an eyebrow seductively. "Impressive." He commented. Lexie blushed and looked at her shoes. I ripped my hand from Killian's, ignoring the pain that went 

"It's nothing, I have photographic memory," She explained with a nervous giggle. I rolled my eyes in exasperation.

"Lexie, take these scans to Dr. Shepard. Now." I growled.

She swallowed and nodded. "Yes, ma'm." She turned and left the room quickly.

It was nice to know that the neck brace and sling didn't make me any less terrifying.

Hook grinned at me once she was gone. "Where was she when I was incapacitated?" 

I raised an eyebrow. "Using her time wisely."

Killian smirked, scratching his chin with his hook nonchalantly. After what Killian had done for me, I wasn't afraid of the hook anymore. I had complete faith in him; he had proven to me the hardest thing to prove: that people can change.

"Would you mind getting me some water?" I asked sheepishly.

"Of course, love." He replied. He walked around my bed at his usual leisurely pace and poured a glass of water from the pink plastic pitcher.

"Are you feeling any better?" He made small talk.

I raised my wobbly hand in front of my face. "Once I have that surgery I'll be just fine." Killian handed me the glass of water and I gripped it with my trembling hand. Quickly, I brought it to my lips and took a gulp. The water sloshed around, unsteady in my traitorous hand. When I was done Hook was right there to help me, taking the cup and setting it back down on the table.

"How are you?" I asked him.

"I'm fine." He smiled. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you were in the explosion, too. Did anyone check you out for stuff in your lungs?"

"If there was something wrong with me you would've figured it out far before now." He said, settling into a stiff hospital chair with a grin on his face. I smiled briefly.

"Good point." I sighed. "But how are you really?"

Killian shrugged and rested his elbow on the arm rest, scratching his face with his hook again. "It could be better. I'm not on such great terms with the police in town, but they haven't arrested me yet." He smiled devilishly.

"Speaking of the police, David wants to talked me about what happened," I said.

The smile dropped from Killian's face. He was silent for a moment before he replied, "You don't have to do that, love."

I sighed, "I do. There was a gasoline pipe deliberately cut. Somebody did this on purpose."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was around 5 when David and Emma Swan came to interview me about what happened.

David sat down on the end of the bed next to my feet. Emma remained standing, looking fidgety. 

"Grace, how are you?" Charming said with a smile.

"I could be better." I said with a grimace. I felt embarrassed, sitting in the bed with a bulky brace around my neck and unable to hold even a glass of water. I was determined not to show any more weakness than I had to. "How are you?"

"We're good, we're doing well..." David glanced at Emma, who pulled a notepad and pen out of her jacket pocket.

"Do you mind if we ask you some questions?" She asked.

"That's what you're here for, right?" I met her steely gaze with mine, equally powerful in my resolve.

"We are." She replied, unfazed. She opened her pad of paper and asked me, "Did you see any sign of the explosion when you got in the car?"

"When I got in the car I noticed there was a cut gasoline pipe sticking out of the floor. I got out, and it burst into flames." I reported, thinking back to the explosion.

Emma looked intrigued. "Do you know anyone who might've had a motive to do this?"

I shook my head as much as I could in the tightness of the neck brace. "It's a small town, and I'm here most of the time. I don't think any one dislikes me enough to try and kill me."

"What were you doing before that?" David cut in.

"Well, I'd just found out that Belle had her memory back, so I was going to visit her." I said.

"Belle has her memory back?!" Emma exclaimed, looking astonished.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "You didn't know?"

Emma looked at David. "No, we didn't."

David lurched up from the bed. "Where's Gold?"

Emma looked around the room with her mouth agape. "I.. I'm not sure. We need to find him!"

David nodded. "You're right. Let's go!"

"Hey, wait!" I called. "She was discharged, not reported missing, so she's supposed to be lucid. Whatever happened to her happened after she left the hospital." 

"Thank you." Emma said, gathering her things. "We'll be back for more information, but now we really have to go."

"I... I understand." I said.

"Emma, let's go!" David called, already out the door. Emma smiled at me one last time and ran from the room.

And just like that, I was alone.

Again.


	9. The Hidden Hercules

I threw my book across the room in frustration. Glancing at the clock, which read 8:15, I'd only been trying to read for ten minutes- but it felt like a lifetime. The tremor in my hand made my disadvantages painfully obvious. I couldn't even read my favorite book by myself. 

For the seventh time since David and Emma left, I glanced at the call button for nurses. I wanted to call Belle, or Emma, or Killian, or just one familiar person.

I just wanted to be up, walking and running around the hospital. I wanted to do surgeries and save lives, not sit useless in a bed. I couldn't do anything to help myself or others- and if my surgery didn't work, I might not be able to operate ever again.

What would I do, if I wasn't a surgeon? It was my calling, my career, my affirmation that I was doing something to help the world. Without it, what did I have?

My face twitched and I looked around the room for something to distract me. It didn't matter, though. If there was something to distract me, I'd still need help from someone else. I'd never be able to do anything on my own.

I scrunched up my face to stop the threatening tears. I promised myself I'd be brave; I promised myself I'd fight through and come back a better surgeon than before.

But I wasn't brave enough. A tear leaked through my eye, a traitor to my gallant efforts.

"Aw, what are you doing that for, sweetheart?" A voice said. My eyes snapped open and darted around for the intruder.

"Who's there?!" I yelled, looking for the source of the taunting voice. 

"Relax, my little flower. It's just me." Purple smoke started to billow from the wall in front of my bed.

What the hell?

I reached over for the nurse call button and screamed in a mixture of surprise and fear when a little red... blob swatted my hand away. It had a scrunched up face, like its mother dropped it on its face a couple of times too many when it was young, and had two tiny little horns and a spiked tail. 

"Ah ah ah!" The red thing said in a throaty voice. "Boss said to make sure that no one hears us."

A glowing white ball appeared right above my lap and a second blob, blue this time with pointy, exaggerated features, dropped onto my lap.

"WHAT THE-"

The room went icy cold. The lights started to flicker ominously and the purple smoke stopped churning out of the wall. I waited, my heart pounding in fear.

"The boss is coming, the boss is coming!" The blue thing chattered, biting his nails.

The room started to literally shake. Framed stock images fell off the walls, lamps crashed to the floor, the curtain rod detached from the wall. My bed rocked on its wheels and my ears popped. Meanwhile, the two red and blue things were running around the room screaming bloody murder.

Then, it all stopped. It was like the eye of the storm; everything paused right where it was. The water that spilled from the pitcher became suspended in mid air. The blobs stopped running and were suddenly frozen mid-shout. I started to float upwards, my blanket coming loose from my legs. I grappled for the bed, but it was no use. There was something much more powerful than me at work.

Suddenly, I came crashing back down to the bed. The water splashed onto the floor. The blobs ran into each other at full speed, colliding head first and crashing to the ground with groans. Then, there was a cartoon-like pop! and a man appeared at the foot of my bed.

This was where I was sure I was losing it.

I had seen some strange things in Storybrooke, but nothing could ever top this. The man was deathly pale, with crinkly, ice-blue eyes that lacked all sense of human warmth. He had spindly, crooked fingers- like a skeleton- and a long hooked nose. He was completely bald and clad in black from head to foot. He looked like the embodiment of death.

The man frowned. "Ah, geeze. Happens every single time," He snapped his fingers and his head burst into white-hot blue flame. "There. That's better."

Mental note: schedule an appointment with your psychiatrist.

The man finally seemed to notice me. "Meg! My little flower." He cooed, floating over the side of my bed. "It's so good to see you."

"I've finally lost it." I muttered, gaping at the man. He chuckled.

"What on earth do you mean by that?" He looked at me with an amused grin.

"I'm seeing a man with flaming hair." I giggled. "And two little... spiky, things, or whatever."

"Hey!" The red blob put his hands on his hips. "We are demons. We are not 'spiky things!' You dare insult us-"

The man shot a glare at the demon, who cowered immediately. "Anyways," The man continued, smiling a lilted smile that exposed rows of rotted, uneven teeth. "It is so good to see you! What has it been, two, three millennia?"

I blinked. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

The man laughed. "What do you mean 'do I know you?' Oh, meg, how I've missed these fun times-" The man stopped suddenly, catching sight of my confused expression. He leaned in closer than I was comfortable with and squinted his eyes at my face, and a chill went through me. After about a minute of uncomfortable silence, he leaned back, snapped his fingers, and smiled.

"You don't remember!" He exclaimed.

"Ohhhhh!" The blue and red demons laughed, going on about how they should've known and how funny it was.

"Let me introduce myself." The man said, shooting another fiery glare at the two demons. "I'm Hades, Lord of the Underworld. This is pain-" he gestured to the red demon.

"Hi." Pain said with a smile and a wave in his throaty tone.

"-and this is panic."

Panic was hunched up into a ball, hugging his knees and biting his spindly blue nails.

"Oh, h-hello!" He stuttered in mock friendliness, glancing, terrified, at Hades.

I started to laugh. I couldn't keep it in. Despite the magical history of Storybrooke, the line had to be drawn somewhere, and Hades appearing in my hospital room definitely crossed it.

"What's so funny?!" Pain yelled, sticking his face directly in mine. I stopped laughing.

"Relax, relax. Give her some space; she doesn't know what's happening!" Hades said, waving a hand around nonchalantly. "What's your name here? Amy? Megan? Buttercup? (Heroes these days, am I right?)" Hades nudged Panic like they shared a secret joke I knew nothing about.

"Grace." I answered, painfully squaring my jaw.

"Ah, Grace! A beautiful name, really." Hades grinned.

"Yes, beautiful!" Panic joined in.

"Absolutely magnificent. Couldn't have done it better myself, really-" Pain joined in.

"QUIET!" Hades yelled. His blue fire hair spiked and turned fiery shades of red, illuminating the room in hazardous scarlet heat. I resisted the urge to scream. He took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead. "Memo to me, memo to me: Maim you after my meeting."

"Why are you here?" I cried, wanting to get Hades out of sight as quickly as possible.

"To help you, of course! Well, really to help me, but to help myself I need to help you, so it all works out in the end." Hades grinned, bopping my nose. I scoffed and recoiled, annoyed by his cocksure attitude.

"What makes you think I'd help you?"

"Oh, This isn't a choice, my sweet. Once you have your memories back it will all be explained."

My heart turned icy cold and I stared at him as intimidatingly as possible. "You have my memories. From the enchanted forest."

"I do! And that's why I'm here, to give them back." Hades stated.

I looked at Pain and Panic, then back at Hades. "What's the catch?"

Hades looked at the two demons with a knowing grin, rolling his eyes. "Like I said, Grace, all will be explained when you have your precious memories."

He extended himself to his full height. He floated over and looked over my fragile frame.

"Now, stay very still..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Megaera.

"Meg? You good? Are you doing alright in there?" Hades' fuzzy voice reached my ears.

My eyes snapped open, my ears ringing.

"Meg. Megaera. Grace." Hades continued, tapping the side of my head.

"I remember!" I cried out. "He.. you... I... I sold my soul to save him! And he abandoned me!"

"Yes, yes. We've discussed this before." Hades huffed, waving his hand in the air. I gritted my teeth to stop the tears. It was fresh pain, like a bullet wound I hadn't noticed until right then.

I'd sold my soul to Hades to save the man I loved, and the minute he was back he left me for the first thing he saw with blonde hair and blue eyes that breathed. I was stuck, indebted to Hades, and I did terrible things under his control, all for what?

All for nothing.

The worst thing he made me do was help him slay Hercules. He let me get close to him, build a friendship, and then he killed him. And I was still in debt to him, forced to do his wicked bidding.

"What do you want." I spat, filled with hatred for the god standing before me.

"Well, remember that little Hercules fiasco some 3,000 years ago?" Hades continued, fluttering his fingers nonchalantly.

"How could I forget." I said bitterly.

"Well, it turns out he's been reborn, of all things! I mean, how crazy is that?" He chuckled.

"Let me guess, you want me to kill him." I blinked against the tears.

"Bingo!" He cackled. 

"Well, too bad," I snarled. "I'm not going to help you ever again, deal or no deal." 

Hades chuckled darkly and grinned maliciously. He held his hand in the air and a glowing gold ball appeared in his hand. My chest twitched.

"See this, Meg?" He spat my name like it was poison. "This is your soul. Which I have full control of. You will find the new Hercules, and you will bring him to me. He will die, no matter how hard you try to stop it."

My chest felt tight. "Do you know who it is?" I asked, my mind unwillingly agreeing to Hades' request.

"I do, I do! It's Killian Jones."


	10. How to Betray A God

"No!" I shouted instantly, looking at Hades horrified. "I can't! I won't. I'm not doing any of your dirty work for you ever again!"

His expression turned dark and sickly sweet. "My dear, dear, Megara," he said darkly, holding up the golden glow of my soul to my eyes. "You'll do all of my dirty work if that's what I decide."

My chest lurched forward. The heart monitor started to beep frantically, getting faster and faster, as a sharp pain started to throb just below my sternum. I groaned, pressing my hand to my chest. "Hades- stop-" I gasped.

"This is what happens when you don't cooperate, Meg! I simply have to do things the hard way." He grinned maliciously, squeezing my soul in his spindly fingers.

I cried out, the pain becoming sharp pangs digging deep into my chest, pulling me forward.

Kill Killian Jones, A voice whispered in my head.

"No!" I yelled defiantly, clutching my chest. "I won't-"

KILL THE NEW HERCULES.

"C'mon, Meg... just say you'll do it. Then, all of this can end!" Hades chuckled.

The pain ripped at my throat, sending tongues of fire down into my belly, and a scream tore the words from my throat- "FINE! I'LL DO IT!" I sobbed. The pain instantly receded into nothingness. I flopped back against the pillow, sweat beading my brow. "I'll do it. You don't have to force me."

"Excellent!" Hades smiled. "I knew you'd come around. And remember, I need you to do it like you did last time. Gain his trust. It's so much easier to drag someone to the underworld when they're not resisting!"

Hate burned in my belly where pain had once been. I wished I had the power to slap his grin right off his stupid face. I wish I had the power to do something, anything against Hades.

A thought occurred to me. Maybe I did have power to do something.

Because I agreed to kill Killian of my own volition, Hades had limited access to my actions, thoughts, and whereabouts. When Hades was controlling my soul directly, he knew exactly what I was thinking and doing- but when he coerced me into doing something, as he usually did to save his power, he didn't know what I was planning. He could only appear to me and speak to me in my mind. Now that Hades didn't know my thoughts... maybe I could come up with a plan to save Killian.

"You know what, I'm not liking these... contraptions. You can't catch a pirate in those!" Hades interrupted my thoughts suddenly.

I snorted. "Well, then, you shouldn't have rigged my car to explode."

Hades frowned, his blue hair blending red towards the base in his annoyance. "Now, why on Earth would I do something like that? I need you whole and healthy for this mission, my dear Meg."

"Wait, you didn't do that to my car?" I frowned. "I just assumed you-"

"I don't care what happened to your car!" Hades snapped, his hair flaming more orange. He took a deep breath, then smiled his horribly false smile again. "I need you to do what I told you to do." Hades waved a hand, and my neck brace and sling disappeared. My tremor disappeared and the pain I hadn't noticed along my spine lifted. My arm, which I'd kept limp since the explosion, felt strong. My whole body felt full of energy.

"What... what did you do?" I asked in astonishment, raising my hands to survey my fully functioning limbs.

"I healed you."

I jumped out of bed and walked past Hades. I looked at my limbs in wonder and laughed.

"You're welcome!" Hades put his hands on his hips with an expectant look on his face.

"Go away Hades," I scoffed. "I'll get it done."

Hades floated towards me and pinched my face with his flakey grey hand.

"Meg, my sweet. I know you will! But if you don't... you know what I'll do to you." He ripped his hand away from my chin and I glared.

"Ta ta, Grace! You know I'm counting on you." He waved his hand and he and his demons disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

I stood in the empty hospital room for a second, relishing in the sight of my empty hospital bed. I flexed my fingers and my toes, barely believing it. I may have hated Hades, but I couldn't deny that I was grateful to have my body back.

Suddenly, I couldn't stand the sight of the hospital room that had kept me prisoner for so long. I needed to leave.

I stepped out into the corridor and set off, limping after not using my legs for so long. I giggled and started jogging, ignoring the lag in my step. I broke into a full sprint as the hall opened up. Ignoring the looks from the staff taking the night shift, I barreled through the hallway, down the stairs, and leapt through the front doors of the hospital into the chilly Maine air in nothing but my flimsy hospital nightgown. I wasn't even wearing shoes.

Where would I go? What would I do? With my body fully healed, I felt ready for anything. But anything wasn't an option under the control of Hades.

The thought of Hades dampened my good spirits. Under the curse, I may have been ignorant of who I was, but now... I had Hades watching my every move.

I went back inside the hospital and picked up a nearby phone and hesitated for a second before dialing Snow's number. Without a car, I couldn't leave the hospital on my own.

The phone rang for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, Mary Margaret picked up the phone, and I heard a groggy, "Hello?"

"Snow?" I asked.

"Who is this?" Mary Margret asked, sounding more awake but confused.

"It's me! Meg- Grace." I said, trying to remind myself that no one knew that I was Megaera.

"Grace?" She asked. "Why are you calling me at 11:30 at night? Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong," I lied. "I'm so sorry to ask you this, but can you pick me up? I'm at the hospital."

I could just imagine her sitting there with the most bewildered expression, wondering why in the world I'd want to leave the hospital. If I even could leave the hospital. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"It's okay, Snow! I'm fine! I... woke up and my brace was off, and my sling was gone and I was completely fine." I grimaced at the lie. This was going to be harder than I thought.

"No..." Mary Margaret sounded delighted. "That's great! But... how is that possible?"

"I don't know!" I replied, struggling to keep my tone lighthearted.

"Are you sure you want me to get you? You might want to do some tests, or something." Snow asked.

"I'd leave myself but my car isn't exactly... fit to drive. And besides, I checked everything. I'm healthy."

"I'll be right over."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I stood in Snow's dimly lit apartment and shivered from the cold.

"Sorry about that. I like it cold." Mary Margaret smiled apologetically as she emerged from her room with a bundle of flannel pajamas.

"No, it's alright, I don't mind," I gratefully accepted the pajamas from her. "I don't want to burden you."

"You're not a burden, Grace. I'm happy to help." Snow said with a smile.

"Thank you," I sighed. "I'm going to go change."

Heading to the bathroom, I yawned. Despite the surge of energy I'd felt after being healed, I was tired. Compared to the rock-hard hospital bed, I was sure Snow's feather-soft guest bed would feel heavenly.

I emerged from the bathroom and wandered over to where Snow was adjusting the thermostat and turning off the lights.

"I really appreciate this, Snow. I don't know how I can thank you enough." I leaned against the wall next to Mary Margaret, wrapping my arms around my waist.

"Like I said, I'm happy to help," She put a hand on my arm and smiled graciously. "C'mon, I'll take you to the guest room."

Snow led me up a set of stairs to a small loft with a luxurious, fluffy queen-sized bed. Immediately, I rushed over and flopped down onto the duvet.

"Thanks Mary Margaret." I mumbled, my face blissfully burrowed in blankets.

She chuckled softly. "Goodnight, Grace." I climbed under the covers, listening to the sound of her footsteps on the stairs before she settled into bed.

I laid in the bed, the blankets pulled up to my chin, and closed my eyes. Hades' face flashed behind my eyelids and suddenly I was wide awake. A feeling of dread crept up along my spine. Could I not get away from him even to sleep?

"Get out of my head!" I screamed in my thoughts, clenching my eyes closed.

"I can't do that, darling. You don't need sleep now!" He spoke in my mind. "What you need is to find Killian Jones."

"I don't have the faintest idea of how to find him, and keeping me up for eight hours certainly won't help. So if you want me to do my job and do it right, you'll leave me alone."

I heard Hades sigh in my conscience. "If that's what you want."

"I'd like nothing better than to be rid of you." I thought, biting back one more time in scorn. But he was already gone, obeying the one thing I asked him. He wouldn't be so compliant on other occasions.

I closed my eyes and took deep breaths. All I had to do was somehow rescue Killian without Hades knowing, and then get rid of my debt.

Shouldn't be too hard, should it?


	11. The Lacey Dilemma

The next morning, the first thing I did was call Belle.

In some clothes that I borrowed from Mary Margaret I stood outside the apartment with the house phone in hand.

I had to call Belle three times before she answered.

"What do you want?!" She snapped, sounding very un-Belle like.

"Belle!" I practically yelled, before remembering that Snow was asleep in the other room. "I heard you got out of the hospital."

"Ugh, why does everyone keep calling me Belle?" I heard her mumble. "My name is Lacey. Not Belle! So whoever you are, you and your friends can stop trying to contact me now!"

"Belle, it's me, Grace!" I was shocked. It seemed like Belle was far from lucid.

"I don't know who you are, and frankly, I don't really care either! Just leave me alone!"

"Belle!" I exclaimed. I lowered my voice. "What has gotten into you?! Is something wrong?" I put a hand on my hip. "Have you been to your follow-up appointment yet?"

"Lacey," Belle hissed. It was silent for a moment. Belle, or Lacey, or whomever I was speaking to seemed to be contemplating something. "You know me, don't you?" She asked.

I snorted. "What do you mean, I know you? Of course I do! We're best friends!"

She chuckled, then sighed. "Dr. Hunter, or whatever his name was, told me that my memory would take some time to fully come back," she paused.

"Oh," I hesitated. "So... you still don't... remember me?"

"I'm sorry... I don't," Belle sighed.

I fell silent, trying to hold back tears that pushed against the back of my eyes. I told myself that it was obvious that something was wrong with Belle, and that I would fix it. She would remember me. She had to.

"You know what, I'm sure if I see you in person I'll remember you. Why don't we go for drinks tonight? It's on me," Her tone became teasing. A part of me acknowledged that this was very unlike Belle, but I was too tired and stressed out to do anything about it. After what had happened to me in the past 24 hours, I could use a drink.

"Yeah, that sounds great," I responded, quietly wiping my eyes with the butt of my palm.

"Wonderful!" I could hear her giggle deviously. "Meet me at the Rabbit Hole at 6:30 sharp. We're going to have some fun," There was a click as the line went dead. I frowned, wishing I could've at least said goodbye.

I walked back inside the house and jumped when I ran straight into Mary Margaret.

"Mary Margaret! What are you doing?" I put my hands on my hips in suspicion.

"Nothing!" She said quickly. I narrowed my eyes.

"Breakfast?" She offered, changing the subject. I rolled my eyes. "I made pancakes, and there's apple cider in the fridge if you want any."

Inspired by the promise of food, I settled onto a bar stool at the kitchen island and leaned against the granite counter. If Mary Magret was eavesdropping, I couldn't do anything but hope she didn't tell anyone. "I'd think apples wouldn't be your thing," I remarked.

Snow smiled from her place near the stove where she was fixing a plate loaded with pancakes, steam circling up from the fresh dough and curling in the air. "What can I say? I'm a forgiving person."

She turned from the stovetop and handed me the plate, now topped with glistening fresh fruit that made me salivate like I hadn't eaten in days. I descended on the pancakes, stabbing the knife into the center with relish.

"If everyone in this town was as forgiving as you are we'd never even be here," I commented, taking a chunk of pancake and stuffing it into my mouth. Snow shook her head at my attempt to lighten the mood.

I speared my food with my fork once again and scraped the plate with the tongs when someone rang the doorbell. Annoyed, I stuffed my breakfast in my mouth and called, "Who is it?" 

"It's me, Killian," I heard his carefree voice through the wooden door and froze, my eyes darting to Mary Margaret. She seemed wary but not concerned.

I missed Killian so much; I'd come to really enjoy his company, and it would be such a relief to be able to spend time with him outside of a hospital. But with Hades lingering in my conscience, his control over my soul constantly burdening me... I didn't know if I was strong enough to face him. What if Hades found out? What if he took control of me the minute Killian walked in?

It was too late to do anything about it. Killian was already here. I could only be careful with what I said and did.

Mary Margaret flounced to the door and unlatched it, letting the pirate in. I swiveled on my bar stool to face the entrance, my eyes flitting from my shoes, to the floor, and Mary Margret's bare feet, and finally the leather clad boots of Storybrooke's resident pirate.

A small smile found itself on my face as I looked up to meet the stormy sea eyes of Killian.

His jaw slackened as his gaze met mine. His expression told me everything: How was I out of the hospital? How was I not in pain? How was I okay?

"Hey," I broke the silence.

"Hello," Killian swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing. He looked suspicious. "Mary Margret, may I speak with you?"

"Of course," she glanced my way. "We can go upstairs,"

I averted my eyes from the pair as Snow put a hand on Killian's arm and led him upstairs to the loft. There was no doubt in my mind that he thought I wasn't me. Perhaps I was trick of Regina, or some other malicious evil force.

In a way, I was, which scared me.

"Are you done yet?" I called. "I promise you I'm me,"

"Just a second Grace," Mary Margret hollered back in a soft tone.

I huffed and took another bite of my pancakes. Frustration rolled through me, both at my own situation and at Killian. I needed him to trust me if I was going to save him.

I put my fork down and rose from Snow's bar stool. If they wouldn't come to me, I would come to them. I ascended the stairs to the shady loft, straining my ears to listen to Killian and Snow's conversation. As I rose, I could just see the two huddled close together, whispering jargon I couldn't make out.

I cleared my throat.

"Grace! We didn't notice you," Snow jumped, backing away from Killian with a nervous glance in his direction.

"Sorry, Mary Margret," I apologized, hating the way she suddenly didn't seem to trust me. "Can I talk to Killian?"

Snow's eyes glanced to Killian's, silently asking permission. "If it's alright with Killian..." she conceded after he didn't resist.

Hook's electric eyes met mine. "I'm alright with it."

Snow glanced at him and then me. I raised an eyebrow. "I'll be downstairs," she finally muttered, pushing past me downstairs to the kitchen.

I crossed my arm over my chest. "Do you remember the first time I met you?" I asked.

"Of course." Killian leaned against a nearby dresser, rubbing his hook against the light stubble on his chin. He cocked an eyebrow. "Do you?"

I snorted and shook my head lightly. "Of course I do. You knocked me out. And then you harassed me. You were on narcotics, though, so I didn't sue."

Killian's mouth twitched. "I'm going to assume this is your way of proving to me that you're you?"

"Your powers of observation continue to surprise me," I said sarcastically.

Killian was silent for a moment, observing me with those ocean blue eyes of his. "What's your favorite movie?"

"V for Vendetta," I answered quickly. "We watched it together while you were still recovering. You thought it was cheesy."

Killian grinned. "I was lying," he said. "I liked it."

I rushed forward and wrapped my arms around Killian, squeezing him like it was the last time I'd see him.

"I missed you," I choked out.

He put a hand on my back. "Me, too."


	12. Pain and Panic Crossdress

"So, I'm meeting her at the Rabbit Hole at 6:30 tonight," I finished with a sigh. 

"And you believe you can fix her?" Killian leaned forward on his elbows.

I averted my eyes and took a deep breath, rubbing my hands together. "I have to try."

Killian studied me with his electric gaze, his face sorrowful. "I really am sorry, love."

"I know you are. Just..." I met Killian's gaze. "Promise me you'll never do it again. That if you ever feel the need for revenge... that you'll resist the temptation. Not just for me, but for yourself."

The corner of Killian's mouth flickered momentarily, his expression pained. He looked at his hand and hook before him on the table and drew in a breath slowly, then met my eyes with conviction in his gaze. "I promise."

I exhaled and let the corners of my mouth lilt upwards momentarily. "Good," I let out a nervous laugh. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this." Hades' face flashed in my mind, his grin a cruel reminder that it was only a matter of time before he would find out.

"No, no. I'm here for you, love, " Killian glanced at his hook for a moment before meeting my eyes, hope etched onto his face. "Perhaps I could even... come with you. For support, I mean."

I sucked in a breath. "I..." There was a part of me that wanted Killian there. But the rational part of me reasoned that Belle might recognize Killian and get angry, or Hades would find out. "Sure," I blurted out. "Yeah, I'd really appreciate it. Thank you, Killian."

Oh, what the hell. Life is short.

Killian exhaled and smiled. "Great. I'll meet you here at 6?"

I smiled back. "Yeah, yeah. I'll drive."

~~~~~

"You're taking Killian with you?!"Mary Margaret gaped at me in disbelief over her coffee. We were enjoying lunch at Granny's Diner. It was the best- not to mention only- place in town that served good food. 

I cringed. "I know, I know. I just..." I sighed. "I'm friends with him. And I feel like... like things will go better if he's there. Does that make any sense?"

Snow sighed. "Yes, unfortunately it does. I felt the same way with David. But Belle..."

"There's something seriously wrong with Belle. If she didn't recognize me, she won't recognize Killian," I took a deep breath. "Besides, I could use the support. I don't know if I'm strong enough to face Belle by myself."

Snow looked at me with pity in her gaze. "I'm sorry, Grace. I know this is hard for you."

I laughed bitterly. "Yeah, yeah. It's more frustrating than sad, I guess," I looked up at Snow. "But I'm lucky to have friends like you that help me through times like this. I don't think I could do any of this without you, or Killian."

A curious glint entered Snow's eye. She shifted in her seat, her eyes glancing to her coffee and then back to me. "Speaking of... what's going on between you and Killian? I mean, you haven't known him for very long, and I feel like you trust him just as much as you trust me."

My cheeks reddened with embarrassment. "Nothing is going on, Snow. Trust me."

Snow laughed. "Are you sure about that?"

An image of Hades flashed in my mind and my embarrassment quickly faded. I frowned. "Yes. I'm sure."

"I mean, it seems like you two have really got something there. I don't think it would be that bad of an idea-"

"No," I cut her off. "No, nothing is ever going to happen."

How could it, when there was so much more at stake than just feelings?

Mary Margaret frowned. "You deserve to be happy, Grace."

"I am happy!" I insisted. "I have a job that I love, a stable income, and the best friends I could ask for. Really, you don't have to worry about me." Again, the image of Hades appeared in my mind. Was this my life now? Lying about everything, even my own happiness?

Snow sighed and took a sip of her coffee. "If you say so."

~~~~

I rented a car from a used car dealership that was hidden along the back roads of Storybrooke's industrial district. There was only one man working the shop, who proudly proclaimed he was the owner and sole employee of the establishment. He was also the frog footman who had managed Cinderella's pumpkin carriage, so I guessed that running a rusty car dealership single-handedly on the outskirts of a fairytale town was just a frog-turned-human thing. He sold me a beat up, tan Lexus sedan for half price as long as I promised to give him free check-ups at the hospital.

Killian sat in the passenger seat while I drove, fiddling with the window and the AC. 

"Is this your first time in a car?" I asked. He shot me an offended look.

"No, it's not. I've been in plenty of... cars, or whatever they're called."

I snickered. "You should learn how to drive soon. I can't be your personal chauffeur."

We hit a speed bump and Killian grimaced, grabbing onto the overhead bar. "I think I'll stick to boats."

We reached the Rabbit Hole right on time. It was a dinky building, partially hidden in the woods on the outskirts of town. The windows were dark except for a neon sign that flashed the words 'open' in glowing letters.

"Have you ever been here before?" I asked Killian, studying the building with suspicion.

He shot me an incredulous look. "I've only been here for a month, lass."

"Well, you're a pirate! I just thought- oh, never mind."

We stepped out of the car and entered the bar. I fidgeted with my hands nervously, scanning the bar for sight of soft-spoken, sweet-tempered Belle.

Instead, I saw a flashy brunette bent over a pool game like the girls at bars that picked up guys with tight dresses and flashy jewelry. She had a sly smile on her face and her eyes were full of mischief. It was Belle, but not Belle.

"Is... that her?" Killian asked, wrinkling his nose in confusion. 

"Not usually," I muttered, smoothing my skirt with my hands. "This is kind of a new look for Belle."

Killian cocked an eyebrow, his eyes dancing along Belle's figure. "Tell her not to get rid of it anytime soon."

I rolled my eyes and groaned. "Oh, for Christ's sake, Killian!"

Killian let out a boisterous, warm-hearted laugh. "Sorry."

"You better start watching your mouth, Captain," I glowered. 

Belle caught sight of us and beckoned us over, eyeing Killian with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Belle!" I called, plastering a fake smile on my face.

Belle turned from her game of pool. "Lacey, actually," she replied, raising an eyebrow as she turned back to the pool table and took her shot.

I glanced at Hook nervously. "Right, Lacey. It's... good to see you."

Belle- Lacey- took her shot and cheered obnoxiously when her ball made it into the pit. She stepped away from her game and smiled at me and Killian, resting against the pool table with her hip. "You must be Grace," she said, giving me a fleeting smile. Her eyes flickered to Killian and she jutted her hip out, biting her lip a little too seductively. "I see you brought a boy toy," She giggled, flashing her pale blue eyes up at Hook. "Say, why don't you get us some drinks so Grace and I can talk, and then we'll have some real fun."

Killian's eyes flashed to mine. "Aw, how cute!" Belle chuckled, stepping towards Killian and placing a hand on his chest. "Loyalty. I like that in a man."

"And I..." Killian started to grin his famous flirtatious grin, tempted by Lacey's advancements, but let it drop from his face when he saw my glare. "Would be delighted to get drinks for you. What can I get?"

"Whatever you're having," Belle purred.

"A whiskey would be great, don't you think?" I exclaimed, conjuring up a sickly sweet smile to hide my red cheeks. I burned with something I couldn't identify- anger, maybe? Embarrassment? "Killian, do you mind?"

Killian took a small step back from Belle and raised his eyebrow at me. "Not at all. Three whiskies, coming right up." 

"Oh, I'll take a vodka martini. I can't stand whiskey. Smells like old people, don't you think?" Belle smiled in what was meant to be an apologetic way, but came out patronizing and degrading.

Killian glanced at me, his expression offended. I cleared my throat. "Be- Lacey and I will go find a table. We'll meet you there."

Killian looked at his shoes, then sighed and flashed me a tight-lipped smile. "Yeah, of course, love." He stalked away, nodding once to Belle.

I sighed. "Sorry. He's sensitive about his whiskey."

Belle laughed and led me over to an empty table. "It's fine. Not really my type, anyways. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you brought him. There's potential everywhere, am I right?" She winked. "Can't hurt to take him for a test drive."

I swallowed back my sharp retort and smothered my annoyance with a smile. "Yeah, yeah," I took a deep breath. "So... how have you been?"

Belle shrugged and crossed her arms. "Good. Just been doing the same old thing. Work, drink, sleep, repeat."

As a doctor, that sentence made me cringe like nothing else. "Oh. That's... good. I guess. If you want to ruin your liver before you're thirty," I mumbled the last part.

Belle acted like she hadn't heard me. "Hey, you're a doctor, right?" She asked suddenly, leaning forward onto her elbows. 

"Um, yes," I replied cautiously.

"I have a question for you. All of these people have been stopping by, but I don't recognize any of them, even though everyone says they know me! Is that supposed to be happening?" Belle asked, creasing her brows like this was not a medical emergency and just a minor inconvenience. 

My face went white. "That is definitely not supposed to be happening. Have you been to your post-op appointment yet?" I asked, incredulous. "God, Belle, you should have told me sooner! This is a big problem!" 

I may have been overreacting, but every time I thought I finally had my best friend back, she was pulled from my grasp. And this person- this drunkard- sitting before me wasn't doing a single thing to try and help herself.

Belle's gaze darkened and she crossed her arms in contempt. "It's Lacey," she corrected me, her tone icy. "And I didn't think it was that big of a deal."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Yes, it is a big deal," I sighed. There was a terse silence as I let myself calm down, silently counting to ten. Finally, I raised my eyes and cast my troubled gaze upon her easygoing figure. "I just don't understand. You must have some memory of your life. Your real life, I mean," I threw my hands up in the air. "Surely you realize this isn't the real you!"

Belle narrowed her eyes at me. "The real me is whatever I want it to be. Sorry to burst your bubble, Grace, but I'm not the person you thought I was. So you either have to accept who I am or just accept that I'm not going to change."

Tears pricked the back of my eyes. I spotted Killian out of the corner of my eye coming back to the table with drinks. "Excuse me- I'm just going to-" I lurched up from the table ad ran towards the bathroom, avoiding Killian's concerned gaze even when my shoulder bumped into his. Bursting into the bathroom, I rushed to the sink. I turned the water on and slipped my hands under the ice-cold liquid. The shock of the cold was nothing compared to the shock of Belle's words. She was trapped in the mind of a stranger. While it wasn't her fault, I was just so sick and tired of the endless loop we were stuck in; how long would I have to wait until Belle was herself again? How long was I going to try and help her, only to find that she would never get better? I couldn't live like this, burdened with the knowledge that the real Belle was just out of my reach while an imposter stood in her place.

Someone sighed beside me and I jumped. "A shame, really."

"A tragedy," A voice on the other side of me sympathized.

Suddenly, where there was nothing before, two girls stood on either side of me. They were identical in almost every way with long legs, sharp cheekbones, pouty lips, and pronounced curves squeezed into body-hugging dresses. The only difference was their coloring. One was completely red, with red hair, eyes, lipstick, dress, shoes, you name it- she even had a pink tint to her skin, like her body temperature was a little too high above normal. The other was completely blue, with electric blue eyes, shocking icy colored hair, frost-bitten lips and a dark blue dress. Her skin was as pale as death, the veins beneath her skin giving her a ghastly glow.

"Who are you?" I cried, backing up.

The red twin turned to me. "Why, you don't recognize us?" Her voice turned throaty and deeper, like a man's. "It's your dear old pal Pain!"

"And Panic!" The blue sister said in Panic's spindly voice, twiddling her fingers in hello.

"You've got to be joking."

Pain sighed, shooting Panic a forlorn look. "I wish!"

Panic fixed me with his- her?- bright blue eyes and said, "Sadly, the boss sent us to check on your progress. I wish we were partying in these amazing new forms, but-"

Pain hit the back of Panic's blue-blonde head, making Panic scream with exaggerated pain. "We're delighted to be serving our master, even if he does force us to wear these ridiculous costumes!" Pain chirped, though his face was fixed in a snarl towards Panic. "Anyways, we couldn't help but notice that you were talking to the pirate. Does that mean you're making progress?"

Shit.

I couldn't let Hades know I was close to Killian so soon. He'd suspect something was between us already and take control of me. But Pain and Panic weren't the brightest bulbs on the trees. Perhaps there was a chance I could salvage my plan.

I let out a silly, girlish laugh. "Oh, is that Killian Jones? I had no idea! I was just dropping in with my friend Bel- Lacey- and we thought we'd make a move," I paused, letting a devilish grin settle onto my face. "You wouldn't understand, being men. Well, also demons, not to mention. it's a girl thing."

Pain's face became swollen with red and he marched towards me, wobbling on his high heels. "Don't you make fun of us, missy! Just because we're demons doesn't mean we're stupid!"

I rolled my eyes. "I never said that. I just said that it's a, ah, female thing," I pretended to become skeptical. "Is that really him? The hidden Hercules?"

Pain pulled back, an irked look on his face. He put his hands on his hips. "Yes, it is."

I frowned. "I expected him to be more... oh, I don't know, chivalrous. Not so pirate-y."

"Oh, that's him all right," Panic giggled.

I exhaled and smiled at the two demons. "Well, I guess that means I am making progress! Who knew?" I chuckled. "You can go tell Hades the good news. I'm sure he'll be happy to hear it."

"Oh, yes, he'll be delighted!" Panic clapped his hands together, beaming at Pain.

Pain narrowed his eyes at me. "Fine. But don't forget we'll be watching you, Megaera. The job needs to get done, and we're here to make sure it does."

Then, without so much as a goodbye, the two demons disappeared in a cloud of red and blue smoke.

I exhaled, my breath shaky, and slumped against a stall door. That was too close. I couldn't let it happen again; I doubted I'd be so lucky next time Hades and his goons started prying.


	13. Smoke and Dust- Again

Bursting out of the bathroom, I rushed over to where Lacey and Killian were sitting in awkward silence. Obviously, Lacey's jest at Killian's favorite drink had not been forgiven.

"We need to leave. Right now," I said, taking the whiskey out of Killian's hand.

"But I just got the drinks!" Killian protested.

"I have rum at home," My eyes darted around the bar, my mind convinced I was going to see another demon or minion of Hades. "Come on! We've got to go!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!"

Lacey cocked her head and pouted. "Leaving so soon? Why, did my little speech make you uncomfortable?"

I slapped a ten dollar bill down on the table and flashed a tight-lipped smile at Lacey. "I'm sorry today didn't go well, and I'm sorry we have to leave so soon. But I have an emergency at home."

"Is everything alright?" Killian asked, his body becoming tense and his eyebrows furrowing together concernedly.

"It's fine, but we need to leave right now.  
Killian?" I motioned for him to get up.

"Right, of course, sorry," he lurched up, giving a hasty nod of his head to Belle. "Lacey, pleasure to meet you."

"You as well," she grinned. "We'll have to do this again sometime."

"Unlikely," I grumbled, latching on your Killian's wrist and tugging him towards the exit.

"Grace, what's going on?" Killian asked as we left the bar, worry etched on his face.

I paused, taking a moment to collect my thoughts as I pulled the car out of the parking lot. "Killian... there's something I didn't tell you. About the explosion."

"What do you mean?" He pressed, his voice low. His hook caught the light of a passing car's headlights, seeming to wink dangerously at me momentarily before fading into darkness again.

I took a deep breath, steadying my hands on the wheel. "When I got to the car that night... the night of the explosion, I mean... there was a gas pipe cut in my car. Deliberately. And it was right by the gas pedal, so I think the person wanted me to see it, too."

"What are you saying? You think someone in Storybrooke is trying to kill you?" Hook shifted his body towards me.

"I don't know. Maybe. Emma and David seem to think so."

"Why didn't you tell me, love?" Killian put his hand on my arm, his tone softer than I would have expected.

My face reddened, and an image of Hades flashed in my mind. "I don't know," I mumbled. "I just- I never thought it was important."

"Not important? This is serious! Grace, you're not safe!" Killian gripped my arm now, his voice becoming heartbreakingly pleading.

I swallowed back a lump in my throat I wasn't aware of, pulling into my neighborhood. "Well, nothing else has happened since then. I'm completely fine now..." The car rolled to a stop in front of my house.

My perfect, pristine, house... which was currently up in flames.

Killian and I sat for a moment, frozen in shock, before I gave a shout and stumbled out of the car towards my burning house. The fire roared in angry reds and oranges, jumping out to lick tongues of flames at the garden and front gate. Smoke billowed up, creating haze of noxious gas. I coughed, drawing my arm across my face. Suddenly, Killian was behind me, his hand and hook pulling my shoulders back.

"We have to call the fire station!" Killian roared over the howl of the fire. Gripping my shoulder tightly, he pulled me back to the other side of the street. All I could do was stare, slack-jawed, at the hulking mass of black timber and white flame sitting where my house used to be.

"Take my phone and my car," I said, my eyes transfixed on the hulking mass of black timber and white flame that raged where my house once stood. I turned to him, my brain switching into trauma-mode: be practical, save what you can, and never back down. "Call 911 and drive to the fire station. Tell them what happened. I'm going to check on the neighbors."

"I'm not just going to leave you here-"

"Killian," I gripped his shoulder suddenly, capturing his attention with a sharp jerk. His ice-blue eyes met mine. "I need you to do this for me. I'll be fine, I promise, but there may be people around here who need me." Killian's eyes searched mine, blazing with ferocity.

"Alright. I'll be back soon." he said finally, squaring his jaw. He started for the car, but paused, turning to look at me with eyes burning just as hard and bright as the inferno. "Please don't do anything stupid." He said the words flat, pleading; it wasn't a joke.

"I won't. I promise." My heart lurched with a pang. "Go, quickly!" Killian raced to the car and sped off, leaving the burning house the only thing in sight.

I sighed, sitting down on the curb. I knew the neighbors were fine; the McKinley's, on my right, were spending a couple days in the Catskills, and the Herrera's on the left, had put their house up for sale weeks ago. I flinched as a beam, black from soot, cracked and fell with a ceremonious BOOM. There was nothing I could do for my house now. It- along with all of it's contents, all of my possessions- were gone.

I closed my eyes, trying my best to block out the smoke burning my throat, and summoned Hades with my mind.

A couple moments passed, where nothing could be heard except the crackling of the house burning. If I focused hard enough, I could imagine I was sitting at a bonfire, far away from this mess.

Suddenly, the wind picked up, strewing my hair around my face, and with a blast of purple smoke, there stood Hades.

"Meg!" He cries exuberantly, spreading his arms out wide as if to give me a hug. "How's it hanging? Made any progress on the search for Killian Jones? Panic and Pain told me you'd gotten in touch with him. Not bad, not bad! What can I do for you?"

I blinked. "My house is on fire."

Hades glanced over his shoulder, frowning at the burning building. "Oh, is it? Hm. Sorry to hear that." He turned back towards me. "So, Meg. Talk to me."

I scowled up at him. "Someone is trying to kill me, Hades."

Hades scratched his chin nonchalantly. "Interesting, interesting."

"Are you not hearing me?!" I seethed. "Someone is trying to kill me. Last I checked, if I die, you can't use me to do your dirty work anymore. My soul won't belong to you anymore." And I won't be able to protect Killian from you.

Hades' posture became more serious and his frown deepened. "That is definitely true. Pain! Panic!" He roared. With an ear-splitting pop, the two little demons tumbled out of thin air and onto the hard road. 

"OW!" Pain screeched. Panic yelped, then scurried to hide behind Pain.

"Pain! Panic!" Hades snapped. "It seems we have someone trying to... interfere with our plans. Apparently they burned down this... thing. You can start there. Once you find them, destroy them."

"W-w-w-we'll be right on it, master!" Panic squeaked, saluting Hades with one shaky hand. 

"Like white on rice, sir!" Pain gulped.

"And could you do it , oh, I don't know, sometime this year?" Hades growled, his hair racing orange.

"Of course, sir!" Panic trembled, bowing low. "Be back in a jiffy!" The two demons burst into puffs of purple smoke and disappeared.

Hades turned to me, his hair back to a low simmer. "I'll be in contact. Just lay low, and please, try not to get yourself killed?"

I couldn't hold back a snort. "Yeah. Sure." In Storybrooke, keeping yourself from getting killed was a hard thing to do.

~~~~~~~~

Five minutes after Hades disappeared, Killian came back with a fire truck, an ambulance, and a horde of policemen. The firemen rushed to the house, but it was too late; the last few embers were already dying out, leaving nothing but piles of soot and blackened wood in their wake. A few EMT's rushed over to inspect me, but I waved them off without a second glance. 

"Grace!" I voice cried out. I stood up slowly, my limbs creaking and groaning with the effort. Killian came into view, his face lined with concern. "Are you alright?" He asked, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm fine," I replied with a weak smile. "I forgot that the neighbors are gone. No one is hurt. Thank you for getting the firefighters."

Killian smiled weakly. "Of course, love. I'm sorry that this happened."

I shrugged, trying to ignore the pangs of sadness that darted through my belly. "It's alright. I'm just glad no one was in there."

"Grace, oh my god! Are you okay?!" Another voice cried out. Emma, accompanied by David, rushed over, their faces drawn in shock. 

"We came as soon as we could," the prince said, out of breath.

I smiled wearily. "I'm okay. Thank you so much for coming. I'm sorry if I woke you up."

"What happened?" Emma interjected, her eyes flickering momentarily to Hook's hand on my shoulder. Noticing her gaze, he subtly withdrew his hand and stuffed it in his pocket. I cocked my head, perplexed, until Killian started to explain what had happened.

"We were coming back from meeting Lacey- er, Belle- at the Rabbit Hole, and when we pulled up to the house, it was in flames." 

"And you're sure you didn't see anyone?"

"Positive." Killian nodded gravely.

"Grace, someone is clearly trying to make an attempt on your life. You're going to need to lay low for a little while until we figure out who did this." Emma concluded gravely. I was reminded of Hades' words not just fifteen minutes earlier: "Just lay low, and please, try not to get yourself killed."

"I guess I could take time off of work- maybe stay at home for while-" I stopped and grimaced, realizing my mistake. 

"We can find you a room at Granny's." David reassured me, patting me on the back reassuringly.

"They're full," Emma murmured to David, giving him a pointed look. "Some of the dwarves had an- er, falling out."

"You can stay with me." Killian piped up, a cocksure grin coming to smirk at me.

I frowned, my cheeks becoming strangely heated. "Oh, no, it's fine, Killian, I'll find somewhere else-"

"Grace," Killian stopped me, raising an eyebrow. "I know you don't like to admit you need help, but your house is in shambles. Just stay with me, at least for a night. It's the least I could do."

"It's only temporary. We'll find you a permanent solution soon." Emma assured me.

"Thank you," I half-mumbled, my cheeks burning crimson. Looking at Killian, I felt my stomach lurch. Here I was, about to bunk with a man I was supposed to kill. Although, Hades couldn't track my whereabouts exactly... if it wasn't that I was worried about Hades, then why did the thought of rooming with Killian make my heart flip inside out?

"It's no problem, love. Just don't go getting any ideas."

I laughed despite the situation. "Oh, please, Jones. You'd love for me to get an idea."

~~~~~~~~

The next morning, I woke with a throbbing pain in my neck and a foul mood. Killian's couch felt like a slab of granite. When he came over, a cheery smile on his face, I told him so.

"You can always share the bed with me." Killian grinned, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

I groaned and chucked a pillow at his head, but something inside me felt warm, less... heavy, with his presence. "Can you go one day without trying to get in my pants, please?" 

"A pirate has his needs," Killian held out a hand for me to help me up from the couch. "Can you blame me for trying? I think I deserve the company of a beautiful woman. It's been a very long week."

I took his hand, rolling my eyes as he pulled me up from the couch. "Ha, ha, you're hilarious. Now, where's the coffee?"

Killian chuckled, pressing his fingers lightly against my lower back as he guided me to the kitchen. "David warned me you would be insufferable until you had your coffee." He removed his hand, leaving my back cold and empty, and brought me a Granny's cafe to-go cup.

I sighed in contentment, raising the cup to my lips. The coffee warmed my chest as it slipped down my throat, and I smiled to Hook, my eyes meeting his for one, electrified moment. "Thank you," I whispered, my grumpiness from earlier dissipated.

"Anything for you, love," he whispered back, his tone only half insincere. 

I cleared my throat suddenly, tearing my gaze away. "What's for breakfast? I can cook, if you want. And, before you say anything, Killian, I promise I will do my fair share of work while I'm here. Whatever you need me to do to help, I'll do it," I paused. "I'm... very grateful. For what you're doing for me."

Killian laughed warmly. "Of course, love. Like I said," he leaned in and winked devilishly. "Anything for you."

My cheeks burned red and my breath hitched in my throat. I was rooted to the spot, intoxicated by his smell of spiced rum and salty sea air.

He grinned, withdrawing to the cabinets. "Now, how about pancakes?"


	14. The Jolly Roger

It was verging on day 5 of quarantine and my brain was officially mush.

I'd already finished three seasons of Mad Men, re-read my favorite book, cleaned Killian's whole apartment- twice- and started researching a new surgery technique, and Emma and David wanted me to stay in hiding for at least a month.

"Hello!" Killian called as he entered the apartment.

"Hey," I replied from my position on the couch, where I was starting season four of Mad Men and stuffing salt and vinegar chips into my mouth.

Killian frowned, picking up the remote and shutting the TV off abruptly.

"Hey!" I protested, fixing him with my most scathing glare. "I was watching that!"

"Not anymore you're not," Killian replied, flopping onto the couch next to me. "You look dreadful. You need to get outside."

"Oh, I'd like nothing more than to go outside, believe me. I'm losing my mind! I mean, not that your apartment isn't nice- it's a great place to be stuck inside for a month- but I just want to take a walk down the street, or check on my patients!" I huffed, pouring another handful of chips into my mouth.

Killian chuckled, reaching for the bag of chips. I swiped them away before he could reach them, stuffing a few more in my mouth for good measure and fixing him with a haughty frown just to push it in his face. "I'm afraid you're going to destroy something if I keep you here much longer," Killian remarked, scooting closer. "I had an idea. If you're up to it."

I raised an eyebrow. "Do tell."

His eyes sparkled with mischief, a small smirk raising his lips as he scooted even closer, his arm coming to rest behind my shoulders on the couch. "What do you say you and me take a little expedition on my ship?"

I frowned, angling my body towards his. "On the Jolly Roger?"

His smirk broke out into a full grin, dipping his chin deviously. "Of course, love. What other ship could I be talking about? After all, she is the finest sailing vessel in all the realms."

I hesitated, averting my eyes to avoid meeting the electric intensity of his gaze. "But Emma and David told me to stay home... besides, by the time we get to the harbor, it'll be the middle of the night..."

"My thoughts exactly. No one will see us leave."

My eyes met his for a brief moment, heat instantly breaking out along my collarbone. "Killian..." I started.

"I promise, you will perfectly safe with me." Hook swore, holding out a hand for me to take.

I paused momentarily, eyeing his outstretched hand. I could use an outing... and I definitely trusted Killian... but what if Hades decided to check in?

"Grace?" Killian asked softly. My gaze attached to his, and I shivered, feeling tingles run down my spine. His eyes were infuriatingly captivating; one look into those pools of vibrant ocean blue, and it was impossible for me to say no to him.

What is wrong with me?!

"Oh, what the hell," I finally relented, placing my hand in his with a matching grin.

"Excellent!" Killian smiled, pulling me to my feet suddenly. "Grab a swimsuit, love. The smallest one you have, preferably."

"That's it, I'm not going."

~~~

We arrived at the docks under the cover of night, the full moon casting a sheer silver glow over the damp wood of the walkways and shining hull of the ships rocking against the lazy wave of the Maine sea. Killian led me to the far side of the docks, where some of the older ships were located. The Jolly Roger sat nestled between two schooners, its hull a vibrant oak marked by bright yellow, red, and blue stripes, with a mast stretching so high it seemed to disappear into the low-hanging clouds. Killian took my hand gently and guided me up the gangplank to the Jolly Roger's main deck.

"It's beautiful." I remarked to Killian, my eyes skimming over the worn railings, the smooth cotton sail tied around the mast, the gleaming helm.

Killian smirked, a glint of pride shining in his eye. "She's the finest ship to ever sail the sea." He proclaimed proudly.

"Wait," I paused, a realization dawning on me. "How are we going to sail? I thought you needed a whole crew to sail?"

"Ah, that's a good question, love." Killian's smirk grew as he bounded up to the helm, taking the wheel in the curve of his hook. "See, when I escaped here with Cora, she enchanted my ship. And, because there's magic in Storybrooke, it means I can do this." He flicked his wrist, his hook catching the silver light of the moon, and suddenly, the ship came alive. The sail dropped down, billowing outwards with the fill of a sudden gust of wind. The ropes tethering the ship to the docks untied themselves from the pegs and flew back to the deck, coiling into neat piles. The boat lurched, making me stumble across the deck, and suddenly we pulled away from the docks, gliding silently through the water. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Having fun?" Killian called. He was manning the helm, eyes full of glee. The wind tussled his hair, tossed his coat around, and sprayed ocean water in his face, but he couldn't seem more comfortable. His face was alight in a way I'd never seen it before, red with the joy of being on the water. He looked... peaceful. At home.

"I-it's amazing!" I called back after a moment, a smile creeping onto my lips. His joy seemed to be infectious. "You were right. She really is the finest ship to sail the ocean!"

"Ha!" Killian shouted back, his face lighting up with triumph. "I knew you'd come around."

I turned my face out to the horizon and approached the bow, breathing in the smell of the sea. I suddenly decided I really liked sailing.

Eventually, Killian pulled out of the harbor and set down anchor where we could appear as a simple dot on the horizon to anyone who looked out. The deck of the Jolly Roger became silent, broken only by the repetitive slap of the waves against the side of the boat.

"Care for a drink?" Killian's voice came from behind me. I turned to see a flask of rum in his hand.

I smirked. "You really are a pirate." I took the flask and unscrewed the top, taking a swig.

Killian came to stand next to me, resting one elbow on the boat's railing. "Aye, that I am." He accepted the flask of rum from me after I finished and took a sip.

"How did you become a pirate, anyways?" I started, watching him under the moon. His expression became pained for a moment.

"It's no matter." He settled back into his carefree demeanor.

"I want to know," I pressed softly. "If you're really not comfortable, it's alright-"

"I was in the navy," Killian cut me off, taking another drink of the rum before passing it back to me. "Before I was a pirate. With my brother. I was his first mate. The King sent us to retrieve a plant he claimed had magical healing properties... but when we got to the island, I discovered the plant was actually poisonous. The King had tricked us. But my brother didn't believe me, so he pricked his finger on the plant to prove me wrong..." he paused, taking in a deep, rattling breath. "He died. After that, I vowed never to go back to that kingdom. So, we stayed in Neverland and became pirates."

"I'm sorry." I said softly, putting a hand on his arm.

His eyes shot to mine. "Thank you."

I took another sip of the rum and removed my hand, trying to ignore the blush creeping up my neck. "You did the right thing."

Killian chuckled, looking out towards the horizon. "Well, at least I can say I remember my past."

I froze, a lump appearing in my throat. "About that..." I started. "There's... something else I haven't told you."

Killian's head snapped towards me, his body tensing. "What do you mean?"

I took a deep breath, clenching my hand to stop it from shaking. I was supposed to murder Killian because of Hades! I couldn't tell him-

"I found out who I was in the Enchanted Forest. Turns out I'm not actually from the Enchanted Forest. I'm from Greece- a version of Greece where Olympus existed. I'm... I'm Megara."

Okay, so I guess I could tell him.

"I'm sorry, love, I've never heard of that name. Or this... Greece, you speak of. It must be a very far off land."

I took another sip of rum to calm my nerves. I had to tell him the truth, all of it. "Do you know the name Hercules?"

Killian became quiet. A tense silence enveloped us, squeezing my diaphragm until I was sure I couldn't breathe if Killian didn't answer. "You're her." He finally said.

I nodded, gulping down the rum. "Yes."

"Why?" Was all he said. "Why did you kill him?"

Tears sprang to my eyes, and I went to take another sip of rum. Shit. It was empty. "I- I didn't mean to. I didn't want to. My soul- it didn't belong to me. Hades was controlling me. He wanted to take over Olympus, and Hercules was the only thing standing in his way. He tried to kill him himself, but it wasn't working, so he made me- he made me do it-" I realized tears were streaming down my face. I turned my head away, taking a moment to wipe away the tears with my sleeve.

I jumped as a hand fell softly on my shoulder. "It's alright," Killian said softly. "It's alright, Grace. I believe you."

I turned to him, his image shining through a layer of tears. "No one believed me. No one believed that I- that I actually loved him- that it wasn't me-"

"Grace," Killian stopped me, raising his hand gingerly to my face and wiping a stray tear away with his thumb. "I believe you."

And suddenly I had my arms wrapped around him, my arms clutching his leather jacket tightly, my face buried into the fold of his collar. "Thank you," I rasped. "Thank you."

Softly, I felt Killian's hand and hook come to rest on my back. "We all have our pasts. And our regrets."

I pulled away, suddenly embarrassed by the proximity. I wiped my face with my sleeve. "Sorry." I said tersely.

Killian smiled softly. "Don't be. But, I have to ask... why didn't you tell me before?"

"I-" I opened my mouth to tell him everything, about him being the reincarnation of Hercules, about Hades wanting me to kill him again, about how-

Hades' image appeared in my mind, burning fiery red with rage. "Don't you dare!" His voice boomed, and suddenly words were pouring from my mouth without my control-

"-I'm worried that Hades may still have control of my soul. I don't think he's still in Storybrooke, but if he is..." a sigh escaped my lips, but in my mind I was screaming. "I was just scared."

Killian face melted into sympathy. "Don't worry, Grace. We'll tell the others and figure out a way to protect you from Hades if he ever comes back. I promise, you'll be safe here."

A smile broke out on my face involuntary. "Thank you so much, Killian. You're a true friend."

I called Hades every name in the book in my mind.

"Do you think Hades is the one setting the fires?" Killian asked suddenly.

Hades made me shake my head. "No. If Hades wanted me dead, he'd have killed me by now."

Killian nodded, looking out to the horizon once more, the moon reflecting specks of silver in his eyes. "Then we'll protect you from Hades and whoever else is trying to harm you."

My hand landed on his forearm softly, my body shifting subtly closer. "Thank you." I whispered softly.

Killian looked at me again, his eyes burning. "Anything for you, love."

~~~~

The sun was rising when we finally returned to Killian's apartment. I claimed I was going straight to sleep, but in reality, Hades and I were going to have a little chat.

I closed the door to my room and closed my eyes, calling Hades in my mind. When I opened my eyes, he was lounging against the wall like he was king of the world.

He grinned snidely. "Hello, Meg." He spat.

"How. Dare you." I hissed.

Hades laughed evilly, content darkening his features. "Oh, no, Megara, that's where you're wrong. How dare you. See, I gave you explicit orders, and you told me you were going to follow them! I trusted you, and the next thing I know you're about to tell your precious Captain Hook my plan?!" He crept closer, his spindly fingers grasping my chin. "Did you forget what I can do to you? Did you forget what you owe me?!"

I swallowed, feeling the familiar tingle of Hades in my soul. "Yes." I choked out as Hades' fingers closed around my throat.

"Then you know what you have to do. And you will do it, whether I make you or not." Hades let go of my throat, leaving me gasping for air. "I'm giving you one more chance. Screw up again, and I won't be so kind."

Hades disappeared into a puff of purple smoke, leaving me shaking and scared shitless against the door. But as I went to go to sleep, I realized Hades was right about something: I wouldn't screw up again. And I wouldn't be kind to him when I figured out how to defeat him.


	15. The Musical Episode

I know this chapter doesn't totally fit, but I really wanted to write it, so here it is. If you don't enjoy songfics/want to keep reading feel free to skip this chapter.

~~~

The day after we went out on the ship, something seemed to have changed between Killian and me. It wasn't necessarily bad- it just felt deeper, more meaningful. Over the week, I found we'd become closer than we'd ever been before.

"Hey," Killian greeted me with a warm smile when I came down the stairs. "I made breakfast."

"Oatmeal! My favorite. How did you know?" I grinned as I sat down on one of the barstools, accepting a warm bowl of oatmeal.

"So," Killian started, leaning against the other side of the bar. "I was thinking we could go out on the Jolly Roger again today. Have some fun."

"Sounds great," I smiled. "As long as you bring the rum."

Killian raised an eyebrow with a chuckle. "I've infected you now, have I?"

I grinned back with a wink. "Who knows. You might turn me into a pirate just yet."

~~~

Soon, we were out on the open ocean, feeling the sun beat down on our backs and the salty ocean crashing beside us as we sailed on.

"Grace!" Killian called from the wheel. "Come here."

I bounded up the steps to the helm, by now so familiar with the rocking of the ship to cross the unsteady deck with ease. "What is it?" I asked.

Killian flashed me a grin. "Take the wheel."

"What?! I'm not doing that!"

"I've seen you cut open a man's chest and have him up running laps in the same week. You can steer a ship."

"That's different! I went to 8 years of school for that! I've never done this before-" But before I could finish, Killian grabbed my waist and pushed me in front of the wheel, guiding my hands onto the pegs. He pressed his chest against my back, his hand and hook reaching over my shoulders to cover my hands.

Oh.

If Killian was trying to shut me up, he did a damn good job at it.

"I can show you the world," he murmured in my ear, sending chills racing up and down my spine. "Shining, shimmering, splendid. Tell me, princess, now when did you last let your heart decide?"

His body pressed into mine as he helped me turn the wheel to the right. At this point, I wasn't even trying to steer. "I can open your eyes," he continued. "Take you wonder by wonder. Over, sideways, and under, on a magic carpet ride. A whole new world."

I let out an exhilarated breath, and suddenly I was seeing everything differently- brighter, more vibrant, more colorful. I turned my head to look at Hook. "A whole new world," I smiled. "A dazzling place I never knew. But when I'm way up here, it's crystal clear, that now I'm in a whole new world with you."

Killian grinned, returning his gaze to the horizon. "Now I'm in a whole new world with you."

My face burning, I turned away, trying to focus on the feel of the wood beneath my hands. I tried to remind myself that I was supposed to be killing Killian; yet, my skin blushed under his touch, my body leaned into him whenever he was near me...

What is happening to me?

~~~

Later that day, I sat in a booth at Granny's diner with Ruby, Snow, and Belle. "For the last time, Killian and I are just friends!" I groaned, stuffing a fry in my mouth.

"I don't know, you guys have chemistry." Ruby giggled.

"Red!" I cried, burying my head in my hands. "He's just a friend. Besides, I don't have time for romance! I have patients that need me!"

"We live in a town of less than 500 people. How many people could possibly be at the hospital?" Snow raised an eyebrow.

I glowered at her over my hamburger. "Not the point. Besides, we all know what happened in my last relationship. I don't want to risk anything happening."

"Come on, Grace. You deserve to be happy." Belle pleaded, placing her hand on mine.

I scoffed. "If there's a prize for rotten judgement, I guess I've already won that. No man is worth the aggravation! That's ancient history! Been there, done that."

"Who d'you think you're kidding, he's the earth and heaven to you!" Belle grinned, squeezing my hand.

"Try to keep it hidden, honey we can see right through you!" Ruby giggled. "Girl, you can't conceal it!"

"Oh no..." I groaned, crossing my arms.

"We know how you're feeling. Who you're thinking of..." Snow nudged me with her shoulder.

"No chance! No way. I won't say it, no no." I replied resolutely, fixing the group with my coldest glare.

"You swoon, you sigh, why deny it, oh oh!" They replied with matching grins.

"It's too cliche! I won't say I'm in love." I sighed. "I have to go. Killian is here to pick me up"

The girls exchanged glances. Snow grabbed my hand as I got up to leave, her eyes glimmering as she said, "Girl don't be proud. It's okay; you're in love!"

I smiled weakly, meeting the eyes of my friends. "At least out loud... I won't say I'm in love."

~~~

I watched Killian as he prepared dinner. "A Traditional Pirate's Meal," he had called it. At first, I'd made fun of him, but the smell of food after a long shift at the hospital shut me up soon enough.

"Behold," he cried jokingly when the meal was done. "A pirate's dinner. Sirloin steak braised in red wine, mashed potatoes with garlic and sour cream, rice pilaf, candied walnuts and dates, and of course, a mug of beer to wash it all down."

"Well done," I grinned, clapping my hands together jokingly. "I didn't know pirates ate so well."

"Just you wait, love. This will be the best meal you have ever had." As he placed the plate down in front of me, his hand brushed mine. A jolt of electricity went running up my spine. I raised my head and my gaze met his suddenly, a spark flying between us. He stopped, stooped over me, so close I could feel the heat of his body.

I snapped my gaze away, choosing to examine the plate of food.

Killian cleared his throat conspicuously, taking a few nonchalant steps back. "I'll go get the beer."

A blush rose to my face. I pressed a cold hand to my forehead, trying to stave away the heat that was racing through my body, but I couldn't; Killian's smell of sea salt and rum lingered enticingly in my nostrils. I sighed, remembering my friend's taunts from earlier. I tried to remind myself that Killian was a pirate. He was a killer! He had sent Belle across the town line!

But, as I looked at him pouring two glasses of beer in the kitchen, my heart beat with nothing but affection for him. He may have been a pirate once before, but months of kindness, compassion, and loyalty had proved to me long before that he was a changed man.

"There's something sweet... and almost kind..." I found myself murmuring inquisitively under my breath. "But he was mean and he was coarse and unrefined! And now he's dear... and so I'm sure... I wonder why I didn't see it there before."

Killian

In the kitchen, Killian busied himself with arranging the candies fruits on a plate, trying to ignore the heat burning in his chest. The moment he had shared with Grace... it seemed like something had passed between them, electrifying their senses.

You're a pirate. Killian chided himself. She could never love you.

But yet...

"She glanced this way. I thought I saw..." He started softly, glancing at Grace in the dining room. "And when we touched, she didn't shudder at my paw! No, it can't be. I'll just ignore. But then... she's never looked at me that way before."

Grace

Looking at the plate before me, arranged so carefully, I realized I couldn't deny the way Killian was making me feel. Be it love- be it affection- be it deep friendship- I cared for him more than anyone I'd ever known.

"New, and a bit alarming. Who'd have ever thought that this could be?" I chuckled softly. "True, that he's no Prince Charming, but there's something in him that I simply didn't see."

Killian returned with the two glasses of beer and the plate of candied walnuts and dates. "I hope you're hungry, my dear, because this will be a meal you will never forget." He grinned, his cockiness and confidence returned.

I smiled back and picked up my fork. "As long as I'm with you."

There may be something there that wasn't there before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it. :) Here are the songs I used:
> 
> \- A Whole New World- Aladdin
> 
> \- I Won't Say (I'm in Love)- Hercules
> 
> \- Something There- Beauty and the Beast
> 
> I hope everyone is staying safe in quarantine! My dms are open if anyone needs to talk. ❤️
> 
> Happy reading!
> 
> -Elise


	16. Beauty and the Beast

Two weeks of quarantine later, and I'd gotten pretty used to being separated from real life. So when I got a call from David, I was surprised, to say the least.

"Hello?" I picked up the phone.

"Grace. It's Belle- Lacey- whatever. She's back." David said.

"Back? What do you mean she's back?" I gripped the edge of the couch tightly, my body suddenly rigid.

"She has her memory back. For real this time." David replied.

"What- where is she? Can I see her?" I sputtered, hurtling to my feet.

"She wants to see you at Granny's later. She didn't have her phone so she asked me to ask you. What do you say?"

"Y-yes! Absolutely! When?" I ran to the kitchen, searching for my car keys.

"An hour? She's still catching up with Gold at the moment."

"I'll be there."

"Great. I'll let her know." David replied. "I've got to run. I'll talk to you later."

"Thank you, David!" I beamed.

"What was that all about?" Hook's voice came from behind me. I jumped, so preoccupied in the news of Belle's return I'd forgotten Killian was home.

I met his eyes, suddenly remembering the day we met. "Belle has her memory. Her real memories."

Killian shifted, clearly surprised, then smiled a smile that made my insides feel warm despite the sudden reminder of everything he'd done. "That's great news! I assume you're going to see her?"

"We're meeting at Granny's in an hour." I swallowed back the sudden guilt I felt and tried to just focus on seeing Belle again; who knows if she would even care I was friends with Killian?

Right, because no one would be mad at you for becoming friends with the person who shot them.

"Why don't I drive you?" Killian offered, his voice eager, like he was making up for something.

"No," I replied quickly. "I have to run some errands. I'll just take my car and do them afterwards."

"Ah," Killian replied uncomfortably, looking down to inspect his hook. "Have a good time."

"Thanks." I grimaced, my body only becoming more knotted and tense with the thick atmosphere. "I'll be back."

When I got in the car, my hands were unusually shaky. I took a deep breath, trying to come my fraying nerves, and tried to reassure myself that it was just Belle. My best friend.

But I couldn't deny that so much had changed since she'd been gone. She had been through so much, I'd almost been killed (twice), and I had a strange friendship with a pirate, who had tried to kill her. We had both been through events in our lives that were changing us- and our friendship. I couldn't help but feel a small seed of doubt in my stomach that our encounter would go well.

I started the car. I had waited too long for her to come back to push her away now. I'd see my friend again, we'd talk, and everything would be alright.

Would it?

~~~

I sat at the booth in Granny's, halfway through my third unsweetened iced tea, my fingernails bitten to the quick, and Belle still hadn't arrived.

God, I wish Killian were here. I thought involuntarily. I immediately shuddered at the thought, guilt seeping into my mind. Belle was what mattered. Belle.

"Grace." A voice said from behind me. I whipped my head around, my nerves on fire, my body trembling- and suddenly everything was okay.

"Belle!" I cried, lurching up from my seat to smother her in a hug.

Belle laughed, wrapping her arms around me. "It's good to see you too!"

I was surprised at the tears lining my eyes. When did I start crying so much? "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too," Belle breathed, her voice thick. She laughed, taking a moment to sniffle, and pulled back.

I smiled, all of my doubts about seeing my best friend instantly gone. That was the great thing about best friends: no matter how much time you spend apart, you can always return to them feeling like no time has passed at all. "We have so much to talk about. God, Belle, there is so much that happened while you were Lacey..."

"I bet," she grinned, taking a seat opposite me in the booth. "Ugh, Grace, you do not understand how awful it is to look back at my memories of being Lacey... I am so sorry for how I acted towards you while I was her. I promise, that was not me."

"Don't worry, it was clear that wasn't you," I couldn't help but snort. "You were a bar floozy with Ruby's closet and Killian's penchant for drinking." I froze. Killian.

Belle smiled sadly, seeing my reaction towards Killian. "Mary Margaret told me you two have been getting close. Grace-"

"I am so sorry, Belle!" I blurted, red coloring my cheeks in shame. "I know I shouldn't be friends with him. He's a pirate, and he shot you, and he's a bad guy, but I just spent a lot of time with him at the hospital and then my house burnt down-"

"Wait, your house burnt down?" Belle said abruptly, her face shocked.

"Long story," I waved her question away. "Anyways, I am so, so sorry, Belle. I never meant for it to get this far-" I paused, taking a deep breath. "I know you must be furious with me, and I want you to know I understand. I'm going to find a new place to stay soon, and then I won't talk to him ever again."

"Can I get your orders?" Granny appeared at our table suddenly, notepad in hand.

I jumped. "Oh, just a burger, maybe. Belle?" I gaped.

"I'll have the same. Thank you, Granny." Belle smiled. Granny took our orders and left, leaving Belle and me to our awkward conversation.

Belle took a deep breath, breaking up the sound of my heart thumping erratically in my ears. "I actually wanted to talk to you about this. Mary Margaret told me all about you and Hook, and how you two have become good friends while I've been... away. And, Grace, I just want you to know... I'm not mad. At all." She smiled at me, reaching across the table to take my hand.

I blinked, my heart stopping momentarily. "Wait. You aren't?"

Belle laughed. "Of course not! Grace, I'm dating the Dark One. I know that people are never what they seem. From what I've heard, Hook has become... good, with you."

I gasped at her, my brain seemingly unable to process her words. "But- he- he shot you-"

Belle shook her head, squeezing my hand tightly. "I know that people have the capacity to change, to become good. I think- from what I've heard- Killian is a good man. And I think that what you two have is true."

"So..." I started slowly. "You're not mad?"

Belle laughed again. "No!"

I let out a delirious laugh of my own, feeling a wave of relief fall over me. "Oh, my god, Belle, you have no idea how relieved that makes me feel."

Belle grinned mischievously. "So it's true, then? You love him?"

My cheeks reddened and I diverted my eyes, suddenly taking a keen interest in the patterned floor tiles. "Killian and I have become very good friends over the past couple of months," I said slowly. "Killian... he's a good man. And he's helped me through a lot." A rush of affection warmed my chest. "He's changed since he first came to Storybrooke."

"Well," Belle smiled, a knowing twinkle entering her eye. "I'm just glad that you're happy."

Granny arrived with the food. Steam rose off the burgers, sending the scent of cooking meat and melting cheese into the air. My mouth watered involuntarily, and both Belle and I eyed the burgers like we hadn't eaten in weeks.

"I missed Granny's burgers," Belle mumbled through a mouthful of food. "Did you know that Lacey was 'not a burger person?' "

"That settles it. She really was evil." I grimaced.

Belle giggled. "It really is good to see you again." She said after swallowing. "I've missed you so much. I want you to fill me in on everything that's happened since I've been gone. You said your house caught on fire?"

"And my car," I grinned sheepishly.

"Your car? What happened?!" Belle gasped.

"It's a long story." I sighed. But we finally had time together, just the two of us, so I told her everything: the explosion, me finding out my true identity, the John Doe surgery, seeing her at the Rabbit Hole, the house fire, going on Killian's ship with him, until I was all caught up to the present.

"I still can't believe you're from Olympus." Belle remarked, finishing off the last of her decaf coffee.

I snorted. "You're dating the Dark One. I think your origin story beats mine."

"Ladies," Granny interrupted, appearing suddenly by the table. "I hate to interrupt this, but we close early on Sundays. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"My goodness, has it really been that long?" Belle asked incredulously.

I checked my phone. Nearly three and a half hours had passed since I'd arrived at the diner. "Shit. I've got to go home. I promised Killian I'd run errands..." Belle raised an eyebrow. "Oh, don't look at me like that." I paid for the food and stood up from the table, shouldering my bag.

"It was great to see you." Belle smiled, rising from the booth.

"Do you need a ride?" I asked.

"No, Rumple's shop isn't far from here. I'll walk." Belle replied, waving me off.

"Alright. Stay safe. Call me if you need anything." I moved towards the door.

"Of course. We'll meet again tomorrow?"

"Of course," I mirrored her, a smirk rising to my lips. "I'll see you later! Goodbye!"

Belle waved as she skipped off towards Mr. Gold's shop, her skirt swishing as she walked. I turned away, my heart feeling full as I began the car ride back to Killian's apartment.

I finally had my best friend back. And despite everything happening in my life at the moment, in that moment I felt completely satisfied.

~~~

My bones ached as I entered the apartment, begging me to go to bed and deal with my responsibilities in the morning. But Killian, sitting on the couch with his body wound up like a spring, stopped me in my tracks.

"What is it?" I asked warily.

"Grace," Killian started, his eyes flickering to mine. "You're back. How was it?"

"You didn't answer me. What's wrong?" I pressed, settling onto the couch next to him.

Killian swallowed, looking back at the TV, which was playing some kind of animal documentary he was clearly uninterested in. "I realized something while you were gone."

"What is it? You can tell me, I promise."

He took a deep breath. "I realized I never apologized to you. For what I did to Belle."

I blinked, surprised for the second time that night. "Killian..."

"I realized you going to see her might make you... dislike me again. I know that what I did hurt you, and I'm sure you and Belle are angry. But I hope you know that I am sorry for what I did, from the bottom of my heart." His eyes met mine, pleading and heartbreaking.

My heart cracked, warmth flowing into my chest, making me want to throw my arms around Killian and assure him I wasn't mad at him, I could never be mad at him, that I loved him-

"Killian," I said again, placing my arm on his shoulder. "I'm not mad at you. Truthfully, what happened with Belle hadn't crossed my mind for a long time until today. I forgave you a long, long, time ago."

Killian looked away, swallowing. "That's more than I deserve."

"No. No. You're a good man, Killian," I squeezed his arm. "I was just too caught up in my anger to see it when I first met you. But I know who you are. You are good. You're my- my friend." I said quietly. My cheeks reddened and I withdrew my hand.

"What about Belle?" Killian asked, turning back to me.

"She's not mad either." Her words from earlier rang clearly in my mind. "She knows that people have the capacity to change."

Suddenly, a warm hand enveloped mine. I jumped, looking up to see Killian's eyes peering into mine. "Thank you," he whispered softly, the warmth of his breath tickling my nose.

I looked down at our intertwined hands, admiring the roughness of his fingers, his tanned skin, his silver rings, set in contrast to my pale, slim, palm. I suddenly felt a sense of wholeness- of completion- in my chest.

"You... mean a lot to me," I whispered softly, the confession leaking from my heart through the crack he had wedged there. "I don't want you to think that I'm mad. I could never be mad at you."

Killian chuckled softly, his forehead bumping against mine gently. "Let's test that tomorrow morning when I forget to make you coffee."

I laughed, squeezing his hand gently. For a moment, we just stayed like that, hands intertwined, foreheads bent together, breathing in sync, until Killian pulled away.

"What do you say we watch a movie?" He offered, moving his arm to settle around my shoulders. I blushed, nestling into his shoulder.

"Sounds great."

When the sun came up the next morning, we were still nestled together on the couch, my head nestled in his shoulder, his arms squeezing my torso. I blinked awake lazily, taking a moment to bask in the warmth. And in that moment, I knew it would be near impossible for me to ever leave Killian's side. It felt right to be with with him; it felt like fate.

And then, I remembered the one thing that threatened everything:

Hades.


	17. Blast From the Past

I was surprised to find that Killian had never tried soda. He insisted he didn't want to try it. I insisted we make an immediate trip to the gas station and pick up every variety of soda available.

"Okay, so, there's Coke, Sprite, Ginger Ale, Fanta, Root Beer... oh my god, I just realized you've never had an energy drink, either... actually, we should probably stay away from those for you." I murmured to myself as we browsed the drink selection.

"This looks like poison." Killian remarked, wrinkling his nose as he held up a radioactive-waste green Mountain Dew.

"Oh, it is." I grinned, pulling a bottle of coke off the shelf.

"Do I have to drink these?" Killian asked pitifully, weakly accepting the armful of drinks I shoved into his chest.

"Yes. But, after you try these, you'll thank me, I promise. Oh, slurpees! Actually, I don't think you're quite ready for those yet..."

"Do any of these have alcohol in them, at least?" Killian sighed.

I couldn't help the laugh that escaped my lips. "Nope." Deeming the selection a good enough starter pack to introduce Killian to, I guided him to the counter to pay. The cashier was a squat, middle aged man, with thin, balding brown hair and a scowl permanently set into his face.

"Thank you for shopping at Storybrooke's convenience mart," the cashier grumbled, his voice low and scratchy. "That'll be 27.28-" He froze like a deer in headlights.

I frowned, raising an eyebrow. "Hello?"

"You're her," the cashier mumbled, the blood draining from his face. "Y-you're Megara."

My heart missed a beat. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Killian's hook raise slightly. "I'm- I'm not sure what you mean. Have we met?" I asked uncomfortably, swallowing a lump of panic.

The cashier laughed bitterly. "Oh, you wouldn't recognize me, would you? You lying, stinking, thieving piece of horse dung-"

"Excuse me," Killian pushed in front of me slightly and set his hook on the table so that cashier could see it in full view. His voice was steely, like a razor blade sliding against metal. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't speak to my friend that way."

The cashier went red, his face puffing up. "I see she has another piece of muscle to deal with her messes. Let me warn you, pal. Get out while you still can."

"Who are you?" I cut in, anger bubbling up inside of me.

"The name's Phil." The cashier growled, his eyes burning with hatred. My eyes widened involuntarily. Phil, of course... Phil cackled. "Ah, you remember me now, eh?"

"You look different without horns." I replied flatly, reassuming my nonchalant demeanor. If Phil was anything here like he was in the Enchanted Forest, the best course of action was not to show any emotion to him.

Killian turned to my, gripping my arm. "Grace, do you know this man?"

"He trained Hercules," I murmured, keeping my eyes trained on Phil. "We used to know each other. When I..." guilt settled in my stomach.

"It's alright," Killian muttered softly, giving my arm a reassuring squeeze. "Let's just get out of here."

"Still keeping in touch with Hades?" Phil interjected loudly. "I hear you two take the best vacations down to Boca Grande."

I lurched forward, slamming my hand on the table. "I would never- never- willingly team up with that manipulative bastard-"

"Grace!" Killian grabbed me again, cutting me off. Phil smirked.

"Stay out of this, Killian." I growled, my vision going red around the edges.

"For once, I agree." Phil snarled. "I want this to be a fair fight."

"Enough!" Killian roared, stepping between us. He turned to me, nostrils flaring. "We're leaving. Come on." He slapped some money onto the counter, grabbed our bag, and dragged me out of the convenience store.

We got in the car, and for a minute, I thought Killian was going to yell at me. But he just sat there, letting me simmer.

"Well?" I said finally, breaking the tension.

"Well, what?" Killian replied, his voice steely.

"Aren't you going to say something?" My throat tightened. "About what happened back there?"

"Why would I?" Killian shrugged, holding up his hook to inspect it in the LED gas station lights.

"Because I-" I started, then took a deep breath to try and unravel the ball of tension in my chest. "Because I yelled at that man. And because of the things he said-"

Killian cut me off. "You're a big girl. You can tie your own sandals and everything. You don't need me to tell you what to do."

"But he insulted you-"

"I've seen my fair share of anger. And I've had my fair share of insults thrown at me." He looked at me. "I know the truth about you. One angry man won't change that."

I looked away, my hands gripping the steering wheel to stop them from shaking. "Let's go." I pulled out of the gas station and sped home, trying to forget the words Phil said to me.

After twenty long minutes of silence, we finally pulled up to Killian's apartment. I exited the car, bag of sodas in hand, but something kept nagging at me in the back of my head.

"I don't get it." I huffed suddenly.

"Get what?" Killian replied, exiting the car.

My eyes met Killian's over the hood of the car. "How you can have so much faith in me."

"I could ask the same of you," He remarked, the corner of his mouth tilting upwards.

"I'm serious, Killian." I glowered, setting the bag of sodas on the pavement.

He took a deep breath, looking out at the road. His smile slowly fell off his face. "It's like you said yesterday," he murmured. "I know who you are. You're a good person. You're... my friend." He turned to me, his face yearning and vulnerable. "You mean a lot to me." He came around the car, placing a hand on my cheek as he settled on the sidewalk in front of me. I couldn't help but lean into his palm, intoxicated by his scent of spiced rum and salty sea

"Thank you," I murmured, my hand drifting upwards to cover his. My eyes fluttered close as a sigh escaped my lips. "I wish I could go back to the curse sometimes. Where I didn't remember everything that I've done."

Killian's palm dropped from my cheek to my shoulder. "Look at me." I opened my eyes obediently, meeting his determined gaze.

"You need to stop rejecting your past. It may hard to accept the things you've done, but you did them. It's over. Megara is a part of you, whether you want her to be or not." I felt some part of me wither in shame. He was right. Killian gripped my shoulder tightly, bringing my attention back to him. His eyes swam, his resolve melting into tenderness. "But Grace is a part of you too. You keep acting like Megara is all you are. But you said it yourself: people change!" He laughed bitterly. "You don't think I've regretted the things I've done? You don't think I play those moments over and over again in my head?" His voice broke.

"Killian..." I breathed, covering his wrist with my hand.

He closed his eyes, bowing his head to suck in a shaky breath. Instinctively, I reached forward and wrapped my arms around his torso, squeezing like I might be able to milk the sorrow from him if I held tight enough.

"I wish you understood," He murmured in my hair, his breath tickling the tops of my ears. "How good you are."

I couldn't help but laugh. "You're sweet."

"I mean it." He pulled away, and meeting his gaze, I could tell he was far from joking.

He smiled earnestly. "Grace, you are the brightest soul I know. You've learned so much in your life and- and I know you think you're evil, but I know you. I know you would never do anything to hurt anyone."

I looked up at him, my eyes meeting his pale blue irises. His eyes shone translucent in the moonlight, and I felt as if I could see right through them to the depths of his soul. A single tear fell down my cheek. There were so many things I wanted to say to him, to tell him how wonderful he was too, but a feeling of dread stopped me; the dread of knowing that I was following the same path with Killian as I had done with Hercules all those years before. Except this time it was different- more pure, more true, more intimate.

Which was why it hurt that much more that I knew what I wanted most- to be with him- could never be; it would lead to his destruction.

"Thank you." I whispered the words in place of everything else I was feeling. I chuckled softly to cover up the feeling of my heart slowly ripping in my chest. "I don't know what I did to deserve you.

"Grace." Killian said, his voice filled with longing. I met his gaze and melted at the vulnerability in the depths of his eyes. "I love you."

No...

My heart thumped in my chest. My head began to swim, and I stumbled back, my brain feeling like it was shutting down.

No, this wasn't supposed to happen...

An image flashed in my head of Hades cackling as he tortured Killian, just the way he had done to Hercules.

"Grace?" Killian repeated my name, his face still full of hope yet panicked at the same time.

"I can't." I croaked, shaking my head. I took a few more steps back, a chill sweeping along my skin with Killian's absence.

"Say you love me," Killian agonized. "I know you do. You have to. There's something between us-"

"Please." I pleaded, shutting my eyes as tears began to build up behind my eyelid.

"I love you, Grace," he vowed, his voice filled with anguish. "Please don't push me away-"

I shook my head, my eyes meeting his. Tears simmered in both of our gazes, sorrow reflecting sorrow. "I can't do it again. I can't- I'm sorry-" I choked. I began to retreat down the sidewalk, heading for somewhere- anywhere- where I could go to clear my head.

"Grace, wait!" He called.

"I'm sorry-" I panicked, and then I was running, down the sidewalk towards the forest, not knowing where I was going but knowing that I just had to run. The forest enveloped me quickly, cloaking me in reassuring darkness. I tripped over fallen logs and stumbled through patches of undergrowth, hearing nothing but my labored breaths and the racing thumps of my heart in my chest. Nothing mattered, not the branches scraping my arms nor the tears streaming down my face; I just had to get away.

I finally stopped in a small clearing after exhausting myself. Pale moonlight lit up the pine-needle ground and creeping patches of moss, as if showing me that I could rest at last.

I collapsed to my knees in the middle of the clearing, finally letting myself cry. Sobs racked my body as sorrow wrangled my throat and squeezed tears from my eyes. All I could think was that this had to be Hades still trying to teach me after all these years of servitude- after I had given up my soul for my first stupid boyfriend- that love was nothing but pain.

"I've learned my lesson, Hades!" I screamed into the air. "I get it! Love is pointless! Is that why you didn't interfere? Because you knew it would hurt?"

Nothing.

Groaning, I wrapped my arms around myself, letting my torso fall forward so my forehead could hit the ground.

It seems you're learning. Hades' voice responded in my head. Maybe you'll think twice about selling your soul next time, won't you?

But before I could say anything, something thrust a sharp object under my chin, forcing my head up and my mouth shut.

"I didn't think I'd find you out here." A distinct, gravelly voice growled in my ear.

Phil.

"But now that I've found you..." he pushed the knife deeper against my throat. "I think it's about time I got some revenge for my pal Hercules."


	18. The Grave

My feet dragged over roots as Phil pulled me along, the forest floor obscured in darkness. The rope around my wrists chafed against my skin as he jerked me along. The gag in my mouth reeked of gas-station beer, the scent so strong it stung my throat.

"I've been waiting for a long time to get my revenge." Phil called back, tugging at the rope just to watch me stumble. He grinned in satisfaction, white teeth glinting like fangs in the dim light. "I tried before, you know. I wanted it to be quick at first. Unfortunately the car didn't kill you and you weren't in your bloody house when I set that fire. But now that I have you alone... well, this should play out a little differently, shouldn't it?"

All I could do was send him the meanest glare I could muster and yell at Hades in my head to lend me a hand.

Sorry, Megaera. You're on your own. He must have enchanted the ropes to keep me away, because I can't reach you.

Great. I growled in my mind. Thanks for all your help.

"I realized this is better, anyways," Phil kept on prattling. "Because now I get to watch you suffer."

We came out of the woods to a moor studded with crumbling graves and looming statues. Hidden back near the trees, a mausoleum covered in ivy towered over the surrounding terrain. I recognized it immediately as the Storybrooke Graveyard. Phil stopped, jerking me along until I was at his side. He yanked the dirty gag from my mouth, and instantly I was screaming- but before I could get out a full word, Phil turned and sank a punch in my stomach. I doubled over, coughing clutching my stomach, and sent Phil a glare that could slice him in two. "You won't- get away with this-" I wheezed with a grimace.

Oh, if looks could kill.

"Scream all you want. No one will hear you." Phil sneered.

"Let me go!" I growled in response.

"Not a chance." Phil tugged me towards a deep cluster of graves. "Follow me."

"No!" I bit back. I tried kicking at him with my heel, but he was too far to land a clean shot. "Let me go!"

Phil sighed and flicked his wrist, holding up a long knife in the moonlight for me to see. The light caught the silver of the blade, reflecting into my eyes as if to warn me of its danger. "I'd suggest you stop struggling, or the next thing I throw at your stomach won't be my first." I swallowed my reply, the warning of the knife enough to keep my silent.

"Now, come with me. There's something you'll want to see." He tugged me towards the graves again and I followed obediently, watching his back as he lumbered down the hill. From what I could tell, the knife was in his left jacket pocket. If I could just get it somehow...

We stopped in the densest part of the graveyard, with the mausoleum glowering over us some feet away. Phil sucked in a deep breath, facing one small grave clustered amongst the others.

"What is this?" I asked suspiciously, keeping my hands tucked towards my chest.

"This," Phil said, turning to me with fire in his eyes. "Is the grave I buried Hercules in after you killed him."

All of the blood drained from my face. It can't be. My body went rigid, my heart forgot how to beat. "You're lying." I finally decided, staring Phil down. "You're trying to scare me.

Chuckling darkly, Phil stepped away from the grave and swept his arm out in a grand gesture, as if he were welcoming me to some magnificent event. "Take a look for yourself."

He's lying! I told myself. He's just a sadist. But something inside of me compelled me forward, forcing me to shuffle towards the grave and drop to my knees in front of the tablet, reaching out with my bound hands to touch the name inscribed messily into the stone... the name...

Hercules.

I shuddered involuntarily, my eyes widening. "This is it," I whispered, my eyes tearful, my voice trembly. "This is- this is his grave- oh god-"

"Save your tears," Phil scoffed. "You don't fool me."

Suddenly, all of my nerves were on fire with anger. I whipped towards Phil, ready to rip him to shreds. "I loved him!" I cried, tears streaming down my face. "I loved him, you idiot! It was Hades! He forced me... he made me do it..." I sobbed, bowing my head. Grief consumed me, turning my body cold as the memories came flooding back. Hercules' golden smile, set against a halo of wavy hair... him, standing up to Hades... the look of betrayal on his face when I plunged a knife into his chest, Hades grinning behind me.

"I didn't have a choice." I shuddered.

"Not good enough!" Phil barked, grabbing my hair roughly and yanking my head back. A squeak escaped my throat as his other hand closed around my neck. And then I saw it- the glint of the knife in his pocket-

"You killed him in cold blood!" He yelled, spittle flying in his rage. "You murdered him, you lying bitch-"

And before I could even process what I was doing, I rammed into Phil with all my might, tearing my head out of his grasp, and knocked him to the ground. He yelled, instantly scrabbling to get a hold on me again, but before he could I raised my hands high above my head and slammed my elbows down onto his nose. He bellowed deep in pain, bringing his hands up to his nose, and I took the opportunity to grab the knife out of his pocket.

Run! Hades' voice commanded in my head.

Breathing hard, I scrambled to my feet and began to run as fast as I could, faster than I thought possible, towards the trees. My feet stumbled over the uneven ground and my body wobbled, but I kept going, driven by pure adrenaline and fear.

Cut the ropes! Now! Hades barked in my mind.

He wasn't even controlling me; I just knew I had to get out of the binds. I paused for a moment, darting behind a statue. Fumbling with the knife, I grabbed the hilt with my teeth, securing it as best I could before fixing the blade under the rope and ripping upwards as hard as I could. The rope frayed, pulling apart enough for me to shimmy my wrists out. I risked a glance from behind the statue to see Phil just getting up, palms cradling his nose.

Take the knife. Hades growled. Without even realizing what I was doing, I reached up and grabbed the knife out of my mouth.

Good. Now kill him.

I panicked and dropped the knife. "No!" I yelped, the action involuntary. Phil turned to me, a snarl distorting his face when he realized where I was.

KILL HIM, MEGAERA!

"I won't!" I cried, taking a nervous step back as Phil climbed the hill towards me.

But before I could run, the wind picked up, catching leaves and twigs in a gust as it swirled, spinning tighter and tighter into a cone of air until it funneled down to the ground, and in its center, figure bunched up in fury, stood Hades. His hair burned a deep red, a tell-take sign he was absolutely, bone-crushingly furious.

"Why is it," he fumed. "That you never do what I say, even when you know I own your soul?"

"It-it's true! You're- you're Hades!" A shocked Phil had stopped in his tracks behind Hades and turned white as a sheet, save for the splattering of blood staining his face.

Hades waved his hand at Phil like he was waving off a pesky bug. A blue, shimmery film appeared over Phil's body, leaving him frozen in a state of shock. "I'll deal with you later." He turned back to me, his expression turning dark. "Now, where were we."

"I'm not going to kill him!" I blurted out, a bout of anger overcoming my fear for a moment. Hades could threaten me all he wanted; I would never do what I did to Hercules to anyone else.

"Too bad." Hades hissed. "It's time you start showing some loyalty, Megaera! Is this what I get in return for everything I've done for you? I granted you the deal you asked for all those years ago. I've kept you alive for centuries. I've healed all your injuries! I've stopped you from getting your heart broken by that pirate! And, still, I get nothing but disrespect!"

"I don't care!" I yelled back, fury rising in me, fueled by the adrenaline and panic. "You think you're helping me? With your lessons about love and eternal torment? Our deal has been nothing but torture."

Hades glowered, his form expanding to fill the air with blackness. He reached a spindly hand into his coat and withdrew a small, glowing, golden orb. My chest tugged with a familiar sense of imbalance.

My soul.

"It's time you started fulfilling your half of the deal." Hades sneered. He squeezed my soul and I gasped, tightness filling my chest.

"No-" I gasped, terror seizing me as I realized what he was about to do. But it was too late. I'd failed him too many times for him to show me mercy.

My legs began to stumble forward, my steps clumsy and awkward. Hades barred his teeth as he gripped my soul, manipulating my steps.

"No- don't make me do this!" I pleaded, panic flooding my chest. I couldn't kill again, I couldn't relive what happened with Hercules- "Please! Hades, stop!"

"Too late now, Meg! You are going to kill him. And then maybe you'll finally learn your place." He snarled. Fear overtook me as I lurched towards Phil over the uneven ground, who could only stare at me in abject horror. 

"Don't make me do this, please!" I cried in anguish, my body still dragging forward. My hand involuntarily gripped the knife, my arm swinging up as I lumbered towards Phil. "Hades! Stop! Please!"

My arm flexed, the knife raising high, the glint of the blade flashing in the moonlight. I shut my eyes, knowing when the blade fell it would forever mark the ground with my mistakes-

"And just what do you think you're doing?" A voice called out.

My body froze, Hades commanding me to keep still. My eyes flew open, irises frantically searching for the source of the voice within my trapped body. Neck spasming under the weight of Hades' control, I resisted as much as I could to get a glimpse of my savior.

"Regina!" I shouted in relief when I caught sight of her.

She didn't acknowledge my call. "Aren't you aware that this is my land?" She cocked her head, raising an eyebrow towards Hades as if to say "Did you really think you could just murder someone in my graveyard?"

"Regina! So good to see you again, darling!" Hades called out from behind me, his voice sickly sweet and dripping with sarcasm. "Actually, I was not aware that this little, ah, gravesite belonged to you- my mistake, really, all graveyards kind of blur together when you're the God of the Underworld- but I can assure you I wasn't doing anything that concerns you."

Wait, these two know each other?

Regina raised her chin. "Is that so? Because to me, it seemed like you were about to kill someone."

"Oh- this man?" Hades laughed ostensibly. "He's nobody that would concern you, I can assure you of that. I was just using him as a, ah, example, if you will."

Regina narrowed her eyes. "Don't forget the deal you made with me. You may be a God, but in Storybrooke, your power is weakened. And mine-" she conjured a ball of hot flame in her hand, the orange glow lighting up the wicked grin on her face. "Grows greater every second." My heart leapt with hope.

"If you're doing this for her, don't bother," Hades replied flatly, presumably referring to me. The warning in his voice made it clear he was done playing games. "I have her soul. Eventually, whether it's now or later, she'll have to do what I command."

The flame expanded in Regina's hand, crackling and sizzling with frantic energy just waiting to be released. "We'll see about that."

With an animalistic snarl ad a gust of wind, Hades disappeared. The knife fell from my grip onto the soft grass below us, my body released from his grasp. I cried out, falling to my knees as the anxiety of the situation overtook me. Phil, likewise released from Hades' power, stumbled backwards and fell against a tombstone, his chest heaving in astonishment as he stared at me with wide eyes. Tears began to flow silently down my cheeks as I realized I was free, if only for a moment. I didn't have to kill him. Regina's silent footsteps approached me over the grassy moors, slow and cautious. I looked up at her, my eyes shining with gratitude. "Thank you." I rasped, my shoulders shuddering. She kneeled down next to me, placing a comforting hand on my arm.

"Come on," She said softly, her voice contorted with pity. "Let's get you out of here."

Phil cried out suddenly, like he had just finally caught up with the situation. His face was white as a sheet, his hands trembling like mad. "You weren't lying about Hades-"

"Of course she wasn't, you idiot," Regina sneered at Phil. "I'd suggest you get out of here before I have you arrested for attempted murder." 

Phil's eyes filled with fear at the sight of Regina's anger. Even if she wasn't the Evil Queen anymore, Regina still had the power to strike terror into anyone's heart. He nodded, hauling himself to his feet with the gravestone.

"Right, I'll just- thank you, Madam Mayor-"

"Go." Regina snarled.

Phil fled from the graveyard without a second thought, the top of his head disappearing through the gates and back towards town. After he was gone, Regina helped me to my feet, offering me a tissue for my tears. 

"Thanks." I mumbled, trying my best to compose myself. 

"Let's go to my vault." Regina decided, leading me over to to the mausoleum in the corner. All I could do was nod, letting her guide me like a sheep. The shock of everything that had just happened was still in my system, making my heart race and my fingers tremble. I had been so close- too close- to killing him at Hades' behest. And the worst part was that I knew, deep in my bones, that Hades would make good on his promise to return.

We could go to Regina's vault, I could hide in Killian's apartment, I could ignore Hades as much as I wanted to, but he would be back eventually, and there wouldn't be anyone to save me.


End file.
